Student Hit by BrickThrown to Draw Attention

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Staff Reporter

A middle school student in Busan was seriously injured when she was hit by a brick thrown by another student seeking attention from his parents.

Busanjin Police Station said Sunday it had apprehended a 13-year-old boy identified as Kim for throwing the brick.

Police said the middle school second grader threw a brick from the external corridor of his residence, the 13th floor of an apartment complex in Busanjin, Saturday.

The projectile hit a girl identified as Lee, 13, who was chatting with her friends in the flower garden on the first floor of the apartment building. She was taken to hospital immediately, but was listed as in critical condition.

According to the police, Kim is an only child of a double-income family and threw the brick to attract attention.

He was filmed by a closed-circuit television in the elevator with a confused look, allowing the police to track him down.

"I thought it would provide an opportunity for my parents to take interest in me even if I would get caught," Kim was quoted as saying. "I did not expect someone would get hit."

Police said they could not book him since he is a minor and instead will send him to the juvenile division of the family court.