Incheon Middle School Student Charged After Assault Video Goes Viral
A video titled 'Incheon Songdo 11-Year-Old School Violence Video' surfaced on social media on May 2, sparking controversy as it depicted a middle school girl striking her classmate. The Incheon Yeonsu Police Station announced on May 8 that they have charged a student, referred to as A, with assault. A is accused of hitting her classmate, B, seven times in the face in a parking lot of an apartment complex in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, last November.
The video, which gained traction on Instagram with the caption 'If the shares reach 1000, the perpetrator's identity will be revealed,' shows A hitting B while B tearfully counts the strikes, saying 'one, two.' Despite B's pleas of 'I'm sorry, please stop,' A continued to hit her while using severe profanity. Other students present did not intervene but instead laughed and recorded the incident.
As the situation escalated, a person claiming to be A posted on social media, expressing remorse for her actions, stating, 'I acted thoughtlessly last year and have reflected a lot since then. Although the victim has forgiven me, I believe my actions have caused irreparable harm. I sincerely apologize to those who were angry and to the victim who suffered. Please help me accept my punishment and get my life back on track.'
Initially, B did not report the incident, but after the video spread online, she reportedly filed a complaint against A and the student who filmed the assault. The police received a report on May 2 regarding the school violence video and subsequently removed the original footage through the Korea Communications Standards Commission.
The police plan to investigate all parties involved, including A, B, the videographer, and the distributor of the video. The Incheon East Office of Education is also set to investigate the incident following B's report of school violence.
