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Saekdongwon sexual abuse investigations ongoing, 12 workers under scrutiny

Published: 09 Mar. 2026, 17:59 Updated: 09 Mar. 2026, 18:55

The head of Saekdongwon, a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities in Ganghwa, Incheon, center, is seen at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, to attend a pretrial detention hearing on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]

Police are investigating 12 workers at Saekdongwon, a facility for people with severe disabilities in Incheon, over allegations of sexual abuse of residents, according to a briefing held on Monday.

Police have also referred the facility’s former director to prosecutors for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. Two former teachers from the facility were also referred for violating the latter law.

The former director of Saekdongwon is accused of sexually assaulting female residents at the facility and forcing them to engage in acts similar to sexual intercourse.

The 12 facility workers may face charges of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. Authorities began an initial inquiry into four workers on Feb. 20 and expanded the investigation to include eight more people last Wednesday.

So far, police have conducted a full review of 87 people with disabilities who had been admitted to Saekdongwon since the facility opened in 2008, excluding 25 who have died. Among the remaining 62, police identified 25 individuals who suffered abuse, including physical violence, according to police.

Investigations into 20 of the remaining 62 have already been completed.

Police said they will continue investigating the remaining victims.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]