Dear editor,

I am an Australian resident of Japan. As a wife and mother of five Korean citizens, I have great affection for Korea. I admire the sincerity and kindness of Koreans and I constantly look forward to my next trip to Seoul.

Korea is the home of my family's honored ancestors. Regrettably on my last trip to Seoul I was assaulted at a major pedestrian crossing at midday. I was waiting alone to cross at the traffic lights when I heard a scream and felt pain over the top of my head.

To my terrible dismay, I realized the scream was mine and I had been hit. I struggled to look around to see a well-dressed young man equipped with a snazzy iPod looking back at me strangely. He seemed to be enjoying my pain and confusion.

I dared not say a thing in fear he would hit me again. While I regained my composure, I heard more screams. The assailant had then moved on and hit two more women over the head before making a hurried departure. We were too stunned to move or say anything.

My daughter is a graduate student at a prestigious Korean university. She has had two similar assaults in the 18 months she has lived in Seoul.

Obviously the assailants do suffer from a mental disease. Are the families of these aggressors in denial? Or are they happy to leave them to roam the streets of Seoul so they can attack anyone they wish?

I hesitate to be judgmental, however, an experience such as mine only affirms that Korea is behind in the treatment of mental illnesses.

I will continue to travel to Seoul because my affinity for Korea is more than skin deep. Then again, if I was a tourist visiting Seoul for the first time I would never go again.

Susan Menadue-Chun
Tottori City
Japan
menaduechun@gmail.com