A Korean husband in his 40s who poured boiling water on the face of his sleeping Thai wife and caused serious injuries has been arrested and detained.
The Uijeongbu District Court said on the 16th that it issued an arrest warrant for a person surnamed A on a charge of aggravated assault, citing a flight risk. Earlier, the court held a warrant review for A at 10:30 a.m. that day.
Around 9:50 a.m., A appeared at the court with a hat and mask covering the face and entered the courtroom without answering questions. After the review ended, A headed to a police detention cell without answering reporters' questions such as "What was the reason for the crime?" and "Do you have anything to say to the victim?"
A is accused of pouring water heated in an electric kettle on the face and neck of B, a Thai wife in her 30s who was sleeping at their home in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu, around noon on the 3rd. Because of the attack, B suffered a major injury with second-degree burns.
On the day of the incident, A took B to a burn specialty hospital in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, but a hospital official who suspected assault after seeing the patient's condition reported it to police around 9 p.m. that evening, leading to A's arrest.
The case drew international outrage after a Thai acquaintance of victim B brought the allegations to light on social media and Thai outlets including "The Tiger" rushed to report it.
Early on, A said, "I wanted to make B ugly so she wouldn't meet other men," but after the investigation began, A reportedly changed the account, saying, "I fell and accidentally spilled the water," denying intent. Police plan to investigate A's exact motive.