Chinese Woman Accuses Japanese Man of Assault in S. Korea

A Chinese female tourist has accused a Japanese male traveler of sexual harassment and deliberate humiliation during her trip to South Korea, alleging that local police initially refused to investigate the case and pressured her to settle the matter privately, news outlet The Cover reported yesterday.

The woman, surnamed Zhang, posted on social media on April 17, saying the incident occurred at a lodging facility in Busan. According to Zhang, the Japanese man not only harassed her but, after being explicitly told to stop, proceeded to urinate on her, her bedding, and her luggage.

When Zhang reported the case to South Korean police, she said officers dismissed the complaint, citing the man's claimed state of intoxication and mistaken identity regarding his bed. "They repeatedly advised me to reach a private settlement," Zhang wrote.

The Japanese man told police he was drunk at the time of the incident. However, Zhang disputed that claim. "Before going to bed, the man was chatting with us and showed no signs of intoxication. Two other roommates can testify to that," she said. "If he claims he was drunk, shouldn't the police have administered an alcohol test?"

Zhang also criticized the police for failing to collect evidence. "He urinated on my suitcase and the floor, but the officers did not collect any physical evidence, nor did they ask him to compensate for my damaged luggage. They closed the case hastily," she said.

Frustrated by the lack of action, Zhang questioned whether the police would restrict the man from leaving the country pending investigation, but received no response. She then sought help from the Chinese Consulate General in Busan and turned to Chinese social media platforms to seek public attention and support.

On April 18, South Korean police responded to media inquiries that the case had been formally registered and that they were investigating whether the act constituted a sex crime. The police requested the male traveler, who had since left the country, to return and cooperate with the investigation, and he expressed his willingness to do so.

Zhang said yesterday that South Korean police apologized for their initial mishandling of the case and have launched an internal review of the officers involved, Zhang said.