Article in Korean: link
*Chat GPT translation:
From Seoul to Jeju: A string of child abduction attempts — was ‘money’ not the motive?
Newnicker, do you know which product’s online sales have recently surged? It’s self-defense items. After a spate of attempted abductions targeting minors, many caregivers have started giving children self-defense tools out of fear. On one online open market, daily sales of “safety whistles” reportedly jumped sevenfold. We looked into what incidents have happened recently, what motives the suspects claimed, and what can be done to prevent child abduction/enticement crimes.
- Child abduction/enticement crimes: “Abduction” (약취) refers to crimes that violate a person’s freedom by forceful means such as assault or threats. “Enticement” (유인) refers to causing someone to lose their judgment through false statements or deceptive words. Under Korean criminal law, abducting or enticing a minor can be punished by up to 10 years in prison; even an attempted abduction can result in a fine of up to 50 million won. Penalties are higher if the crime was for sexual or labor exploitation, for human trafficking, or if injury or murder followed the abduction/enticement.
Recent abduction incidents: How many attempted abductions of minors occurred?
According to National Police Agency crime statistics, occurrences and arrests for child abduction/enticement crimes dipped slightly in 2020 but have increased since 2021. Among arrested suspects, males outnumber females by roughly two to one. Looking at the wave of incidents that made child abduction attempts a social issue over the past three weeks:
• Aug 28 — Seodaemun-gu, Seoul: Three men in their 20s approached and attempted to abduct four elementary-school boys on three separate occasions. Police initially said the reports were “unconfirmed,” then made arrests two days later, which heightened public concern. The suspects told police they were “just joking.” • Sept 8 — Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province: In one apartment building a high-school boy tried to abduct an elementary-school girl. He attempted to pull her away as she got off the elevator, but fled when the girl screamed loudly and cried. Police found pornographic material featuring minors on the arrested suspect’s phone and determined a sexual motivation, charging him under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence and for attempted abduction with intent to rape. • Sept 8 — Namdong-gu, Incheon: A man in his 40s tried to lure an elementary-school girl by saying, “I’ll buy you something tasty, come with me.” The girl’s grandmother, who had come to pick her up and called the child’s name, caused the suspect to flee; he was arrested the next day. • Sept 9 — Seogwipo, Jeju: A man in his 30s approached an elementary-school girl and asked, “Want a part-time job where you get to see fun stuff?” and tried to put her in his car. When the girl refused and checked the license plate, the suspect fled. The student later reported the license plate to the local police box, and the suspect was arrested three hours later. Police said the suspect had a prior sexual-offense record. • Sept 9 — Seo-gu, Incheon: A man in his 60s tried to put a middle-school girl — who was running near a school — into his car. The suspect later told police he “saw her clutching her lower abdomen and looked like she was in pain, so I was trying to help.” The police are investigating the case using recordings from the car’s dashcam and other evidence. • Sept 9 — Gwanak-gu, Seoul: A man in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of grabbing the hand of an elementary-school girl while saying, “Hey kid, come here.” The suspect denies the charges. • Sept 10 — Seo-gu, Daegu: A man in his 60s approached an elementary-school girl at a market and tried to lure her by saying, “Let’s go eat jjajangmyeon (black-bean noodles),” but the attempt failed. Police reviewed CCTV footage that showed the suspect grabbing and pulling the victim’s arm, and arrested him about three hours after the incident. • Sept 11 — Jeonju, Jeonbuk: A man in his 20s tried to pull a middle-school girl into his car in an apartment complex. When the girl resisted, he drove off, but he was later caught at his home. Police said he attempted physical contact while saying, “Let’s go for a drive.” Why are abduction attempts happening? 😡 Who would try to abduct a child — and why?
Historically, many abductions were financially motivated — demands like “We’ll return your child safely if you pay” were common. While those for ransom haven’t disappeared, recent attempted abductions show a very different pattern. Experts’ analyses suggest:
• Sexual motives are the most common: Experts say the biggest motive is sexual crimes such as molestation or rape. Perpetrators often pick minors because they think they can control them more easily, physically and psychologically. • Doing it “for fun,” without awareness of the harm: Some offenders commit these acts to feel thrill or excitement from the victim’s reaction or the police response — similar in impulse to crimes like making bomb threats. • Expressing anger toward the vulnerable: People who feel social resentment or alienation may attempt abductions to vent, using a weaker person — a minor — as a means to assert their existence. • Copycat crimes after media coverage: As child abduction becomes a social issue, copycat crimes have reportedly increased. People already inclined to commit such acts may see previous incidents and think, “I could do that too,” leading to more crimes. A conspiracy theory has circulated suggesting organized groups are creating sexual exploitation material of minors and sharing it on the dark web, driving the recent spate of abduction attempts. Police have said there is no evidence supporting that claim.
Responses to the abduction crimes: Seems like action is needed
Experts say we need to treat child abduction/enticement crimes more strictly. For example, judges rejected the police’s detention request for the suspects in the Seodaemun-gu attempted abduction on the 5th, and some analysts worry that this may have reduced deterrence and contributed to subsequent copycat crimes. Although attempted abduction has resulted in prison sentences in some cases, critics point out that only about 20% of first-instance (trial court) sentences are actual prison terms, suggesting punishments are not severe enough. There are also calls to improve training and management so existing child-safety patrols can respond effectively.
- Child-safety patrols (아동안전지킴이): A government program employing mostly older adults to patrol areas with many minors to prevent crimes. The National Police Agency has budgeted to hire about 10,800 child-safety patrol workers nationwide this year.
President Lee Jae-myung also ordered swift investigations and thorough countermeasures regarding child-abduction crimes. Police said they would strengthen preventive patrols on school commuting routes and during late-night hours. They also said they would actively stop and question suspicious people loitering near children, and that child abduction/enticement reports would be handled as “Code 1 (emergency dispatch)” to allow rapid response. Local governments began distributing keychain safety alarms to students that emit warnings above 100 decibels when pressed, organizing citizen patrol groups, designating child-protection zones, and installing CCTV cameras.
Meanwhile, critics urge the media to handle coverage more cautiously. Sensational, interest-driven reporting can fuel hatred against particular groups, inspire copycat crimes, and cause secondary harm to victims. People are calling for guidelines on reporting child-abduction crimes that emphasize correcting baseless rumors, providing information on crime prevention, and focusing on victim support.
Preventing abduction: How should we teach children?
Traditionally, the go-to advice has been “Don’t go with strangers!” but recent studies show this education may be ineffective. Children often stop seeing someone as “strange” if that person calls them by name or shows interest in things the child likes. Also, many perpetrators are known to the victim (acquaintance offenders).
Experts therefore recommend frequent role-playing exercises based on concrete abduction scenarios. Teaching children to practice responses for specific situations helps them develop judgement like, “In this situation I should do this.” Teaching clear, assertive ways to refuse is also important — phrases like, “If you’re making me uncomfortable, tell someone,” and “If someone forces you to do something, say no.”*
————— As you can see there are multiple kidnapping attempts happening on the same day, and the next day it repeats.
Is there some secret online kids-kidnapping-club or something? Because even for copycat crime it seems too much.
submitted by /u/20967
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