Seoul police have arrested a South Korean man who poured boiling water on his Thai partner's face with the intention of disfiguring her and preventing her from being with other men. Local media reported that the Oidongbu police station in Gyeonggi Province announced the arrest of a 40-year-old man on charges of aggravated assault. The man is accused of burning the face of his Thai partner, a 30-year-old woman, while she was sleeping in their apartment in the Hoondong district of the greater Seoul area. The Korea Herald reported that the man confessed to police that he "wanted to disfigure her so that she wouldn't see other men." He apologized and begged her to forgive him and stay with him, promising to take care of her. On the same day, she posted an appeal in a social media group for Thais living in Korea, seeking translators to help her with legal proceedings, according to the Tiger news agency. Her post, which showed her with her face completely covered with a bandage, revealing only her eyes, nose, and mouth, quickly went viral, causing outrage in the expatriate community. She also posted her medical bill, which showed that she owed the hospital more than 7.3 million won ($5,000 USD), of which 4 million won was paid by donors. However, she refused to communicate with him at all.
