[Newsmaker] ‘Other men are same’: Korean man accused of beating wife

A Korean man in police custody for assaulting his Vietnamese wife told reporters on Monday that he believes “other men are the same.”

“Things began weighing on my mind since (my wife and I) speak different languages, and so we think differently. But I believe other men are the same,” he told the press, adding that he hopes such circumstances are taken into consideration. 

The 36-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, made the comments as he was escorted to Gwangju District Court on Monday morning for the arrest warrant hearing.

Kim is suspected of assaulting his wife, 30, for over three hours in the presence of their toddler son Thursday evening at the couple’s home in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province. He was arrested 5 p.m. Saturday on charges of assault and child abuse.

A video of the incident released by the victim’s friend Saturday morning shows Kim slapping the woman in the face, cornering her and then punching her in the head and stomach repeatedly. Their 2-year-old is seen crying, clutching onto his mother, and eventually running away as the beating escalates.

The woman is currently hospitalized for rib fractures she suffered from the assault. The hospital where she is receiving treatment has said it will take about four weeks for her to fully recover.

Police said Kim testified that he was drunk at the time of the incident during police interrogation over the weekend. He also told police that his wife “stopped being obedient after (he and his wife) registered their marriage.”

According to Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, the couple met five years ago while working at a factory at an industrial complex in Yeongam. The woman returned to Vietnam in April 2016, when Kim asked her to get an abortion after she informed him of her pregnancy. Three years later, in April this year, he brought the victim and child back to Korea after a DNA test confirmed the child was his.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)