US pilot in Gunsan partially convicted of sexual assault on Korean woman

In 2022, a local court convicted a US pilot stationed in Korea of ​​sexually assaulting a Korean woman.

A 30-year-old member of the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing based in Gunsan, North Jeolla, was charged with quasi-rape and rape in July 2022 after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at both a local shelter and a shelter at the air base.

The Jeonju District Court sentenced the 30-year-old pilot to three years’ probation on Thursday on charges of quasi-rape.

According to Article 299 of the Criminal Code, rape occurs when a person “has sexual intercourse with another person, taking advantage of that person’s unconsciousness or inability to resist.”

The incident came to light when the victim ran out of the base’s main gate screaming and saying she had been sexually assaulted.

The quasi-rape charge was brought for the attack at the local shelter as the victim was deemed unable to resist due to intoxication at the time. The rape charge was reduced to a second attack within the base.

The court dealt with the two incidents separately.

Regarding the alleged rape, the court found that the victim was “unable to respond appropriately to the defendant’s act” due to excessive alcohol consumption and fell asleep when entering the accommodation.

The court considered the victim’s testimony to be coherent and credible because she did not hesitate to reveal details that could have been detrimental to her.

However, the court found the man not guilty of the rape, which allegedly took place inside the military base. The court explained that under Korean law, proof of serious violence or threats is required for rape to occur.

However, despite the previous quasi-rape, the victim was observed “kissing the accused in the restaurant and in the accommodation and attempting to sleep with him in the base accommodation.”

In addition, the court found inconsistencies in the victim’s physical description of the assault.

Taking into account the overall context, the court concluded that it could not establish beyond doubt that the victim had resisted the act.

Finally, the court acknowledged that the seriousness of the crime could not be overlooked despite the fact that the defendant had no previous convictions. It found that the defendant had attempted to perform sexual acts while the victim was intoxicated.

BY HA SU-YOUNG, WOO JI-WON ([email protected])