Husband Sentenced to 2 Years for Forcing Wife with Intellectual Disability to Work as Karaoke Helper

"Go to work even the day after the abortion"

Turned a blind eye despite knowing of four instances of sexual assault

A husband who forced his wife with an intellectual disability to work as a karaoke helper and took economic profits from her labor has been sentenced to prison.

On June 10, Judge Song Hando, the sole criminal judge of the 8th Division at the Seoul Southern District Court, sentenced Mr. Kim (26), who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities and the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence, to two years in prison. The judge also ordered a five-year employment restriction at institutions related to persons with disabilities.

Seoul Yangcheon District, Seoul Southern District Court. Photo by Jiye Lee

Judge Song stated, "The victim is a person with a severe intellectual disability, lacking the ability to properly assess situations and thus requiring special protection. Nevertheless, the defendant, despite his duty as a spouse to protect her, neglected this responsibility and instead exposed her to a dangerous environment for economic gain." The court rejected Mr. Kim's claim that the victim had chosen to work as a karaoke helper of her own accord. The judge found it difficult to conclude that the victim had found the job on her own, citing that she did not know the account and password for the job recruitment website she used.

Regarding sentencing, the judge explained, "The victim suffered irreparable harm, including four instances of sexual assault and pregnancy followed by an abortion." However, the court also took into account that this was the defendant's first offense.

However, Mr. Kim was found not guilty of violating the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities by neglecting the victim on the grounds that treatment costs were too high. The court confirmed that there were records showing that the victim had been taken to the hospital for treatment over several years.

Mr. Kim stood trial on charges of neglect and emotional abuse, having forced his wife with an intellectual disability to work as a karaoke helper and using the earnings to cover living expenses and repay debts. Investigations revealed that over approximately eight months working as a karaoke helper, the victim was sexually assaulted on four occasions by customers and a taxi driver.

After the victim became pregnant from sexual assault and underwent an abortion, Mr. Kim reportedly pressured her to return to work, telling her, "You have to understand that there is nothing to eat, so you need to go to work the day after the surgery," even though she required absolute rest. As a result, the victim returned to work at the karaoke bar just two days after the abortion and suffered another sexual assault without being able to attend her scheduled obstetrics appointment.

Immediately after sentencing, however, Mr. Kim denied the charges in court, arguing, "I told the victim not to work for illegal money."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.