1. Introduction to the text
This reading passage discusses a disturbing incident where a soldier on leave attacked a woman in a public restroom, attempting to sexually assault her. The article provides details about the case and the soldier’s motivations.
2. Vocabulary
| Korean Word | Romanization | English Meaning | Contextual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 군인 | gun-in | soldier | A soldier on leave attacked a woman in a public restroom. |
| 성관계 | seong-gwangye | sexual intercourse | The soldier said he wanted to have sexual intercourse before he died. |
| 흉기 | hyong-gi | weapon | The soldier attacked the woman with a weapon. |
| 습격 | sup-gyeok | assault | The soldier assaulted the woman in the restroom. |
| 응급 | eung-geup | emergency | The injured woman was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. |
| 공황 | gong-hwang | panic | The soldier claimed he was in a state of panic when he committed the crime. |
| 회피성 인격장애 | hoe-pi-seong in-geok-jang-ae | avoidant personality disorder | The soldier’s lawyer claimed he had avoidant personality disorder, which contributed to the crime. |
| 구형 | gu-hyeong | to demand a sentence | The prosecution demanded a severe sentence for the soldier. |
| 피고인 | pi-go-in | defendant | During the defendant’s interrogation, he admitted to stabbing the victim but denied the sexual assault attempt. |
| 진술 | jin-sul | statement | The defendant’s statement claimed he could not remember the sexual assault attempt. |
3. The main text in both Korean and English
휴가 중 일면식 없는 여성에게 흉기를 휘두르고 성폭행을 시도한 군인에게 검찰이 중형을 구형했다.
The prosecution demanded a severe sentence for the soldier who attacked an unfamiliar woman with a weapon and attempted to sexually assault her while on leave.
A씨는 지난 1월8일 대전 중구의 한 상가 여자 화장실에 들어가 20대 여성 B씨를 흉기로 찌르고 성폭행을 시도한 혐의를 받는다.
On January 8th, the defendant A entered a women’s restroom in a commercial building in Daejeon and stabbed a 20-year-old woman, B, with a weapon, attempting to sexually assault her.
B씨는 머리와 귀를 심하게 다쳐 100바늘 이상 꿰맸다. 사건 직후 대형병원으로 이송돼 응급 수술을 받았고 다행히 생명에는 지장이 없는 상태다.
B sustained severe injuries to her head and ears, requiring over 100 stitches. She was immediately transported to a major hospital and underwent emergency surgery, but fortunately her life was not in danger.
B씨에 따르면 A씨는 “오늘 죽을 거다” “나 죽기 전 성관계 한 번 해야겠다”며 B씨를 위협한 것으로 알려졌다.
According to B, A threatened her, saying “I’m going to die today” and “I need to have sexual intercourse before I die.”
A씨는 피고인신문에서 B씨를 흉기로 찌른 사실은 인정하면서도 성폭행 시도에 대해서는 “기억이 나지 않는다”고 진술했다.
During his interrogation as the defendant, A admitted to stabbing B with a weapon, but claimed he could not remember attempting to sexually assault her.
A씨 측은 군 생활로 인한 스트레스와 ‘회피성 인격장애’ 등으로 공황 상태에서 범행했다고 주장하고 있다.
A’s legal team argued that he committed the crime while in a state of panic due to stress from military life and “avoidant personality disorder.”
4. Reading comprehension questions
- Who was the victim of the attack in this incident?
- What kind of weapon did the soldier use to attack the woman?
- What was the soldier’s stated motivation for the attack?
- What was the soldier’s defense for his actions?
- What was the prosecution’s response to the soldier’s actions?
5. Cultural and historical notes
This incident highlights ongoing issues with violence and mental health challenges within the South Korean military. There have been numerous high-profile cases of soldiers committing violent crimes, often linked to stress, isolation, and lack of proper support systems. This case underscores the need for greater mental health resources and oversight to prevent such tragedies from occurring.