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Police nab U.S. soldier suspected of assaulting man in Hongdae club, fleeing the scene

Published: 27 Apr. 2026, 18:43 Updated: 27 Apr. 2026, 18:53

Seoul Mapo Police Station [JUN YUL]

Police apprehended a U.S. soldier suspected of assaulting a man at a club in the popular Hongdae nightlife district in Mapo District, western Seoul, in March.

The service member, who is stationed in Korea, was charged with joint assault on April 16, according to the Seoul Mapo Police Precinct on Monday.

The suspect is accused of assaulting a Korean man together with another service member during an altercation at a club in Hongdae at around 3 a.m. on March 21. The suspect and the accomplice allegedly choked and punched the victim.

The accomplice was arrested at the scene, while the suspect fled in a taxi.

Police identified the suspect by analyzing security camera footage and the victim’s testimony, then requested the suspect's appearance for questioning.

“An overall review is underway on whether to seek a detention warrant,” a police official stated.

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 HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]