Child rapist Cho Doo-soon, 72, violated an outing restriction order and again left his residence without permission.
According to the Ministry of Justice on the 13th, Cho Doo-soon left his residence at about 8 a.m. on Oct. 10 in Wa-dong, Danwon District, Ansan, Gyeonggi. Cho lives in a multi-family home. He reportedly went down to the first-floor common entrance. A dedicated Ministry of Justice officer (a probation officer) stationed at the entrance witnessed this and sent Cho back to his residence.
From March to early June, Cho went out four times during elementary school dismissal hours and was sent back home by the probation officer working in front of his residence. Cho's restricted outing hours are 7–9 a.m. and 3–6 p.m. during school arrival and dismissal times, and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day at night.
On Dec. 4, 2023, Cho also left the house at about 9:05 p.m. for 40 minutes without permission, saying he had argued with his wife. At the time, the court sentenced him to three months in prison for violating the Act on the Attachment of Electronic Devices.
In June, while a probation officer was supervising the inside of the residence, the officer found the at-home monitoring device had been damaged.
Cho has been indicted without detention on charges of violating laws related to attaching an electronic device and is on trial at the Suwon District Court, Ansan Branch.
Since the start of the year, Cho has shown signs of mental disorder suspected to be delirium, and the symptoms have reportedly been getting worse recently.
Cho, who had lived with his wife, has been living alone since his wife left home early this year. It is reported that a probation officer stops by the house in the morning and evening to supply daily necessities and otherwise help with his life.
The Ansan Probation Office applied to the court in June for confinement for psychiatric evaluation due to Cho's worsening mental health. The National Forensic Psychiatric Hospital conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Cho in July and said he needs medical custody.
On Dec. 11, 2008, in Danwon District, Ansan, Cho was sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping an 8-year-old elementary school student and causing serious injuries, served his term, and was released on Dec. 12, 2020.