'Revenge crimes' against informants soar

By Yi Whan-woo

The number of retaliatory crimes targeting informants or witnesses this year surged to a record-high 164, data showed Monday.

The data compiled by the National Police Agency showed that the crimes totaled 614 over the past four years.

The number of retaliatory crimes was 87 in 2008 and 139 in 2009, according to data presented to Rep. Kim Hyun of the Democratic United Party. The number fell to 124 in 2010, and 122 in 2011, but soared to 164 between January and August.

The retaliations included fatal attacks against those who reported a suspect to police after being the victim of a crime. The witnesses who gave testimony to investigators were also victimized.

Of the 614 cases, two of the victims were killed and 76 were wounded in revenge attacks.

Seoul had the highest rate overall with 120 across the country in the same time period, Busan was in second place with 114, followed by Gyeonggi Province with 69, and North ChungCheong Province with 36.

In September, a Korean-Chinese man living in Seoul was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering his partner in an act of revenge after she reported him to police for raping her repeatedly.

The 44-year-old man, surnamed Lee, stabbed his lover, more than 30 times in the neck and stomach in April after he was released by police. The prosecutors requested for an arrest warrant when police arrested Lee and sought to detain him for a thorough investigation. But the court at that time turned down the request, saying “he has no reason to escape because he has lived in Korea with a valid residential address.”