Following the police failure in the handling of the Suwon Torso Murder Incident, another case has emerged in Miryang, a small town in Gyeongsang province, leading many netizens to suggest that the Korean police system needs to undergo serious reforms.

Since April 10th, the Miryang police station website has been overwhelmed by messages from enraged netizens after it was revealed that a high-school student involved with the “Miryang gang rape” case in 2004 has become a police officer there.

In the “Miryang gang rape” incident, which took place in Miryang city in 2004, two middle school students were gang raped repeatedly for about 12 months by a group of 44 (some unofficial estimates are as high as 80-90) high school students. Sadly, the police failed to protect the identity of the victims, used allegedly humiliating investigations techniques, and on several occasions were accused of insulting the victims and their families –– blaming them for the incident. Lastly, as many of the assailants were from rich influential local families, most of them got away with a warning and allegedly continue to live normal lives.

The public anger about the handling of the Miryang incident has resurfaced again, after it became clear that Hwang Seon-mi, a friend and a girlfriend of one of the Miryang gang members, had become a police officer at the local police station. The following image of a message sent by Hwang Seon-mi to her friend shortly after the incident has been making a splash on Korean internet.



[Translation of above]

Did it all get sorted out ok? I’ve heard that apart from 3 people everyone came out fine… Those girls were so ugly anyway… Anyway, good work.

Responding to attacks from netizens, Hwang Seon-mi has posted an open apology saying that she regrets her past behavior. She also writes that it was just a mistake which she committed in her youth and asks for understanding. However, netizens do not believe the sincerity of this, especially since the emergence of the personal statement written by Hwang Seon-mi when applying for the post at the police station – has been made public:

I am a very honest and diligent person and I know myself well. I think about crime from the viewpoint of criminals too, and in case of sexual assault I am able to consider both – victim’s as well as criminal’s position and whether the victim did not walk around in a manner encouraging to be assaulted. So please choose me for this position. I can do some martial arts as well.

Comments from Todayhumour:

금이흐르는강:

You say ‘whether the victim didn’t walk around in a manner encouraging assault?’ What woman would walk around trying to encourage a sexual assault? Does she have it written on her face “please could you rape me’? And how the hell can you even think about the crime from the position of the criminal? I can’t possible understand the mind of a sexual assailant, nor do I really want to;; As I had thought, as a rapist’s friend you really seem full of love for humanity ^^ And this is your application for the job at your police station. That means that it’s quite a recent statement. It doesn’t really seem possible that you would have done a 180degree change in such a short time. It seems that the things you say in your apology are really quite different from your real thoughts.

C바three갈:

‘Whether she was not walking around in a way encouraging a sexual assaults’? The people who selected a woman who writes this kind of thing in her application personal statement are also quite unbelievable.

Comments from Nate:

신문강:

The funniest thing is that this woman is now taking the first person who put this into circulation to court.

홍성우:

There is no need for such things as explanations. Unconditionally dismiss her. This woman has no right to be a police officer.

오성환:

Well, I have to say this news have come out with perfect timing. Normally she would have just gotten away with it but at the time like this when police is getting so much criticism, the police might have to take some proper measures to freshen the atmosphere. So far the chief of national police and the chief of Kyongi province police have resigned. Let’s wait up for the resignation of this mental policewoman too.

최무진:

Are you really saying that “If it is confirmed that the police officer is really the person mentioned, the police station where the police officer is working will issue a public explanation”?????? Just an explanation ?????????????????????????????? The police really is more and more 막장…. I feel like I’m gonna blow up by anger. When Lee Do-Kyeong insulted men on TV [saying that men under 180cm are losers], she got fired from a company that had no connection with her remark and encountered difficulties in many other parts of her life. But a woman who directly made remarks supporting violent crime is still a police officer?

문아름:

They are not police, they are gangsters. And those sex offenders are her friends. ke ke ke ke *scream*

유정환:

This kind of person became a police officer?! That’s why cases like the Suwon torso incident happen..

김영성:

They just need a high score in the test, and anyone becomes a police officer… You should appoint people who have at least minimal work ethic and sense of duty. Are you not doing mental tests? When this kind of people become policemen, you can’t be surprised when they answer 112 [emergency calls] in this way [see Suwon Murder Incident].

송은미:

Wow. You should disclose the facts of the case and definitely dismiss her. This is scary. How can a woman say such things? And as a policewoman with this mind set, if she ever got in charge of a sex assault case, this is even more scary duh duh duh

김현웅:

You are finished. Within a day several hundreds of people wrote messages to police headquarters, and it is even in the media now. Do you think you will get out of this fine you slut?

김종환:

I’m sure the woman is thinking : ‘Oh yeah, ignorant netizens, why are you meddling into other people’s business’ Person’s character doesn’t change. Dismiss her.

권중현:

Dismiss her!

한영국:

The policewoman might be thinking “It’s an old happening; you should consider the situation from my viewpoint and understand me”. But this all is your fault because you had never thought about the situation from the victim’s viewpoint. If you had even once imagined yourself encountering such crime, you would not have been able to make such remarks and would not have been able to think of those friends as friends anymore

김혜진:

The funny thing is when the chief of the police station said that the policewoman is finding her life very difficult because of the criticism from public. Oh so you find it hard? You have told a middle school student who suffered almost 2 years of sexual torture by 44 people that she is ugly, were mocking her and telling the assailants that they did a good job. What about your face, how do you look like? And that’s what you call police? It looks like police have sided with you. Unless you want to admit that you [police] are a criminal organization, dismiss her immediately.

김형준:

Apology? She is still a facebook friend with those criminals; do you think she will repent her behavior? ke ke ke

윤희권:

The truth about Milyang incident; There were 44 assailants officially, But the real estimate is more than about 80-90 criminals. Most of the assailants were children of local bigwigs. Therefore, even though there was a lot of fuss around the case while it was being followed by the media, as the media interest in the case died down, victim was turned into a wrongdoer, the criminals were turned into victims. The victim of the crime had repeatedly moved around and transferred school, but at the end gave up her studies. The assailants all graduated the school and are all living normal life. All 44 suspects sent to police headquarters were released as the interest of media in the case waned. In the end, among the 44 assailants no one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty. No one received a criminal penalty.

최희정: