Dear editor,

After smelling the smoke, I looked outside my window and saw my neighbor smoking in the hallway, right next to my front door. My wife called the security guard, who didn't come at first (she had to call three times), and after the security guard came, the guy first denied that he smoked until I showed pictures. Then he insulted me with profanity and started coming toward me as if he was going to hit me. Then he threatened my wife.

Terrified, she immediately called the police, who came 20 minutes later. However, they stood and listened quietly ― and then told us that there was nothing they could do, in front of the man who threatened us. We begged for an hour for them to protect us. My wife walks that hallway to go to work. So do I.

How can we feel safe after the police refuse to protect us? To make matters worse, the police told me that they would arrest me if the man ever said that I hit him ― even if there was no evidence. I never touched the man. I've never been in a physical fight in my life.

How can I feel safe in this country? How can I continue to work, live, pay my taxes, and abide by the laws of Korea if I know that any Korean at any time can have me thrown in jail by just lying to the police? What's worse, how can my wife go to work every day knowing that the police will not protect her?