 |
| Seen is the playground of an apartment complex in Incheon. The head of a tenants' group reported children from another apartment complex to police for "trespassing," Oct. 12. Screenshot from MBC |
By Lee Hae-rin
The head of a tenants' group at an apartment complex in Incheon called the police to report children for using the complex's playground despite not living there, claiming they were "trespassing."
One of the parents of the five children posted a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website, Nov. 4, saying she received a call from the police that her child was reported for vandalism, Oct. 12.
"When I rushed to the scene, five children, including my child, were being held in the apartment's maintenance office. They burst into tears every time they saw parents arrive after receiving calls from the police," the petitioner wrote.
The chief of the tenants' group, according to the petitioner, singled out children who do not live there among others in the playground, hurled abusive language at them and ordered them to follow him, leaving behind their belongings, including mobile phones, backpacks and bicycles.
He confined the children in the maintenance office for about 30 minutes while he called the police and accused them of damaging the complex's property.
 |
| A statement written by one of the five children expelled from a playground in an apartment complex in Incheon. / Captured from a Naver online community |
According to a statement written by one of the children at the police station, the man told them, "Aren't you a thief for coming to somebody else's playground?"
The parent said surveillance footage of the playground showed no signs or evidence of the children damaging the property. "But he insisted that non-resident children of the apartment complex are not allowed to play there," she wrote.
Three weeks later, the man convened a meeting of residents to propose a resolution to report children not living in the apartment complex to police when they use the playground in the future. But the proposal was voted down by a majority of the residents, according to local broadcaster MBC.
"This playground is property owned by the residents of the complex. Thus, children from other complexes are trespassing when they use it. I have no plans to apologize to the children and their parents because I didn't do anything wrong," he was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
The parents of the children sued the person for detaining and intimidating their children.
