| Cho Doo-soon / Korea Times file |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Notorious child rapist Cho Doo-soon, 69, was attacked at his home by a vigilante, police said, Friday. The injury was not serious.
According to police, the assailant in his 20s allegedly tried to enter Cho's home in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, at around 8:50 p.m., Thursday, pretending to be a police officer and asking him to open the door.
The man then allegedly grabbed a blunt object that was apparently in the house and used it to hit Cho in the head. A neighbor posted on his Facebook that the assailant had used a hammer in the attack.
Cho's wife rushed to a police precinct about 20 meters away from the house and reported the assault. Police took the assailant into custody and are investigating him on charges of inflicting injury.
Cho was taken to the hospital for treatment, and his injury was not serious, according to the police.
Cho was released from prison in December last year after serving 12 years for kidnapping and raping an eight-year-old girl. The brutal assault ruptured her intestine that led to permanent physical damage.
After his release, dozens of people, including YouTubers, flocked to the rapist's house, saying they would personally meet out justice by saying the jail term was too lenient.
The man who attacked Cho was also previously investigated by the police in February for trying to trespass into his house. The man was detained by officers who were patrolling the area and found him carrying a bag with a weapon. The man told the police at the time that his life would be worth living only after he punishes Cho.
Police plan to decide whether to seek an arrest warrant after interrogating him further.