Man Sent to Prosecutors for Attacking Car Carrying Former Democratic Party Chief Chung Chung-rae

A man in his 50s has been sent to prosecutors after repeatedly kicking and hitting the vehicle carrying former Democratic Party leader Chung Chung-rae. Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Police Station referred him without detention on September 1 on suspicion of property damage.

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The tool used in the crime could not be confirmed, so we applied a simple property-damage charge.

The incident took place at about 7 p.m. on July 20 outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido. Chung’s vehicle was preparing to leave after a joint speech event for candidates in the party leadership primary when the man allegedly struck it with his foot and an object, damaging part of the car.

The suspect turned himself in to police the next day and reportedly admitted most of the allegations. Police said they had conducted a broad investigation, including a forensic examination of his mobile phone, but found no evidence of an accomplice or advance planning. They therefore judged the act to have been spontaneous.

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Although we conducted an extensive investigation, including a mobile-phone forensic examination, we found no evidence of conspiracy or advance planning and judged it to be a spontaneous act.

A police official said investigators could not confirm the object used in the attack, so they applied a simple property-damage charge. The official declined to discuss the suspect’s motive or whether he was a party member, citing personal information and other sensitive issues.

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The motive and whether the suspect is a party member involve personal information and sensitive matters, so it is difficult to comment.