A man was spotted wandering near Tancheon stream in Jamsil, Seoul, in broad daylight with only his private parts covered, prompting a passerby to call police.
According to a Monday episode of JTBC's "Sageonbanjang," a tipster identified only as A said the man was spotted in suspicious attire near Tancheon stream in Jamsil while riding a bicycle through the area.
The video A filmed showed the man standing shirtless, with only his private parts covered on his lower body. He also wore a mask over his face with holes cut out for the eyes, nose and mouth, along with what appeared to be a headset.
A, who was riding past the area on a bicycle at the time, was reportedly startled upon spotting the man and began filming.
"I saw some unidentified flesh-colored mass," A recalled on the show. After watching the footage, the host also said, "It's broad daylight," adding, "This is truly shocking."
"I thought something bad might happen to me, so I just left the scene," A said, describing the situation at the time. A then reported the incident to police, who said they would dispatch officers, but A said there was no further contact afterward.
A string of bizarre sex crimes has recently occurred in downtown Seoul. On Aug. 25, a man in his 60s was caught by police after exposing himself on a walking trail near Yonsei University's Sinchon campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. He had pulled down his pants and underwear at the time. On Aug. 21, a man in his 40s was booked by police after entering a women's restroom in a commercial building in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, wearing nothing but mesh stockings.
Meanwhile, Article 245 of the Criminal Act stipulates that a person who commits an indecent act in public may face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won ($3,720). However, not all instances of mere exposure constitute the crime of public indecency — courts weigh the exposed body part, the method, the location and the circumstances to make a case-by-case determination.
choigo@heraldcorp.com
