Seoul court sentences care home director to 15 years for raping disabled residents

October 5, 2026 at 03:11 AM2 min

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A Seoul court sentenced the director of a state-run care home for the intellectually disabled to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting three residents. The ruling came nearly two years after one victim, Seo Mi-hyeon, first disclosed the abuse to her mother. The director, identified only as Kim, is appealing the conviction.

Key Facts

A Seoul court sentenced the director of Saekdongwon care home to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting three residents.
The director, identified only by his surname Kim, is appealing the conviction.
Seo Mi-hyeon, a resident in her 40s, first disclosed the abuse to her mother in February 2025 after suffering a head injury during an assault attempt.
Saekdongwon, a fully state-subsidised care home in Incheon, still houses 33 residents and has been asked to close down.

The Abuse

Seo Mi-hyeon began living at Saekdongwon, a care home for the intellectually disabled in Incheon, in 2016. According to Seo, director Kim began raping her shortly after she arrived, visiting her at night or in the early hours. Seo said she had no adult at the facility she could speak to about the abuse and felt other staff members would not help her. The care home has not responded to this allegation.

Disclosure and Investigation

The case came to light in February 2025 when Seo suffered a head injury while resisting a sexual assault attempt by Kim. Seo's lawyer, Ko Eun-young, told the court that the care home informed Seo's mother about the injury only after the wound had been stitched up. Seo's mother asked to see CCTV footage to establish how her daughter was injured, but the facility refused, saying it was not authorised to release it. After Seo was told she would not have to return to Saekdongwon, she disclosed the sexual abuse to her mother, who reported it to the police. A police investigation into Seo's account was then widened to other residents.