Police arrest mother for stealing money from her son with an intellectual disability

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency booked without detention a woman (59) identified by her surname Kim for making her adopted son with an intellectual disability, also identified as Mr. Kim (45), to work as a kitchen assistant at a Chinese restaurant and stealing around 60 million KRW (~$54,399 USD) worth of pay from him.

The owner of the Chinese restaurant, identified by his surname Cha (48), was also booked without detention for violating laws that protect people with intellectual disabilities.

According to the police, back in July of 2011, the mother requested for Cha to hire her son, telling him that in return, she will give him 800,000 KRW (~$725 USD) for her son's meals and boarding. Cha conceded to the deal but failed to keep his side of the bargain and took advantage of Mr. Kim's intellectual disability by making him work from 8 a.m. until 1-2 in the morning the next day and not providing him with proper boarding and meals. Cha would also frequently force Mr. Kim awake when he slept, ordering him to carry out physically taxing manual labor.

The money that Mr. Kim earned at the restaurant would go directly to the mother, who would use the money for her personal living expenses, and she only gave her son a measly 100,000 KRW (~$91 USD). Kim, who had raised her son for 22 years, reportedly had no inkling of the laborious work that he had to perform at the restaurant day in and day out.

Kim testified to the police, "I've raised him like my own son. I planned to give the rest of [my son's] money to him when he needed it."

Police have placed the son in a shelter for the disabled and forwarded the case to prosecution with the recommendation to indict both Cha and Kim.