The Sexual Abuse of Disabled Residents That Shocked South Korea

A court in South Korea sentenced a care home director to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing residents with intellectual disabilities. The director, known only as Kim, ran a state-funded home called Saekdongwon in the city of Incheon. The case became public in early 2025 and shocked people across the country. It raised serious questions about how the government protects disabled people living in care facilities.

One victim is a woman in her 40s whose name has been changed to Seo Mi-hyeon to protect her identity. Seo has an intellectual disability and finds it hard to speak in long sentences, mostly using short words and gestures. Even so, her memories of the abuse were clear and detailed. She moved into Saekdongwon in 2016, and she says the abuse began soon after she arrived.

The abuse continued for nearly 10 years. Seo said she felt there was no one at the facility she could safely talk to about what was happening. The case finally came to light in February 2025, after Seo suffered a head injury during an assault. Her mother eventually brought her home, and only then did Seo feel safe enough to tell her mother about the years of abuse.

Police widened their investigation after hearing Seo's account and found at least two other victims. One of them, called Lee Mi-Na, said she was also raped by Kim. A judge found all three women's accounts to be believable and sentenced Kim to 15 years in prison. Kim has denied all the allegations and is appealing the ruling.

Disability rights groups criticized part of the verdict. For one of the three victims, the judge dropped the rape charge because he said there was not enough proof that force or threats had been used. Advocates argued that a victim's ability to fight back should not change the outcome of a case. They said the legal standard was unfair to people with disabilities.

Investigators were also criticized for possibly missing more victims. A university research team found signs that at least 10 other residents may have been assaulted, but the court did not address this during the trial. Police said they struggled to interview residents because many had severe disabilities and had difficulty communicating. Experts said this meant residents who couldn't speak in full sentences were left out.

The case raised questions about why the abuse was not stopped sooner. Saekdongwon was regularly inspected by local authorities, but a county official admitted those checks mainly focused on paperwork. Residents were only interviewed when a specific problem had already been reported. Some families suspected abuse but felt they could not speak up, partly because finding another care placement can take years.

South Korea had passed stronger laws to protect disabled people back in 2011, following public outrage over a movie based on a true abuse case. Those laws created harsher punishments for facility staff who harm residents. But experts say the Saekdongwon case proves that laws alone are not enough. Better oversight and a willingness to listen to all victims — no matter how they communicate — is also needed.

Since the case became public, South Korea's prime minister ordered a special government response team. By April, the government had inspected more than 1,500 residential facilities and found 33 suspected cases of abuse. Investigations have been opened into eight of those cases. The government also promised stronger inspections going forward, involving police, local authorities, and disability rights groups.

As for Seo, her life has changed greatly since leaving the facility. 'I just feel at peace. I'm happy every day,' she said. The best part of her new life, she added, is being able to eat and sleep whenever she wants. She hopes that one day, all people with disabilities will have a safe place to live — one free from violence and fear.