Regarding an Unfortunate Incident in Ulsan

I was contacted the other night in regards to an unfortunate incident that occurred in Ulsan. I was asked by one of the individuals involved, to kindly pass on some details and advice for the foreign community of Ulsan.  I write this in a hope that it will help those who may find themselves in an unfortunate situation such as this. The details and information below were provided by the individual (friend) that helped and are as accurate as he could make them.

In the early hours of Sunday, October 3rd 2010 a woman (foreigner) was sexually assaulted (raped) on her way home from an evening out. The event took place in a popular district of Ulsan, but at the time of the incident, no one was around. The Korean male drove up, got out of his car, pulled her aside and raped her.  I have been asked not to provide any more details about the incident in order to keep the victim’s identity a secret.

Immediately after, the brave woman went home and contacted her friend who could speak Korean. Together they contacted the police department and reported the crime. The police took the woman to the Ulsan Women’s Crisis Center and then to the hospital for treatment. DNA samples were taken and medication (penicillin and the morning-after pill) was given to her. She returned to the Crisis Center for a detailed description on the incident.

Fortunately, the area in which the crime took place, had CCTV’s in place and from the description, the police were able to get a license plate number. Within hours the man was arrested. He admitted to the crime and is now in jail.

The brave woman is fine and has been strong throughout this whole ordeal. My heart goes out to her and I strongly thank those who helped her including the friend (who was there to help at that early hour) and the men and women of the Ulsan Police Service and The Ulsan Women’s Crisis Center.

I have also been asked to provide some advice from the friend who helped regarding this incident. The following advice is given in a hope to help those who may find themselves in this situation.

1. Report it as soon as possible. The police number is 112 and they have a translation service running from 8 am to 11 pm (mon-fri) and 9 am to 6 pm (weekends).  If you have a problem and there is no translator please give this number a call 02-790-7561 It is the International Emergency Rescue for foreigners in Korea line. They provide free transportation to any hospital anywhere in Korea (according to the KTO website).  It is crucial that you report the crime. Stay strong and let the police do their best. In this incident alone, the offender was apprehended within hours. It is a hard choice to make but know that you are doing the right thing. The Police are here to help and you can prevent another incident from occurring.
2. Write it down. Write down the details of the incident as soon as you possibly can. It may be tough to get through some of the details but try to remember what you can. If you can’t write them down, talk to a friend and get them to write them for you. These details can help the police find the perpetrator.
3. Be Strong. You do not need to feel bad or ashamed about telling the police and getting help. The police and the staff of the Ulsan Women’s Crisis Center are extremely professional and are very caring. They were extremely helpful and supportive during this incident.

In the event that you find yourself in this situation, we can only hope that this information can help you make it through.  Please understand that these crimes do occur in Ulsan and that there is a community behind you that will help you get through it.

Contact Numbers for Ulsan

112   Police (call this first, possibly no English service in early hours)

02-790-7561 International Emergency Rescue (for English service)

052-244-3117 or 052-246-3117 Ulsan Women’s Crisis Center

Located next to Dong-gang Hospital in Taehwa-dong.

(울산 OneStop 지원센터)

In conclusion we hope that your time in Ulsan is a safe and happy one. Please contact us if you have any more useful information that can help those in need.  If you have a direct question for the friend that was involved leave me a message and I will pass on the information.

**Please remember that this is only advice and is to be taken at that**