DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE

[Anchor Lead]

A Korean man in his 30s has been receiving public criticism, as he was found to have violently assaulted his Vietnamese wife. A disturbing video of his assault that was taken directly from the wife's phone started trending online, and as a result he was detained on July 8, amid a stream of public petitions calling for stern punishment for the man.

[Pkg]

A Korean man was detained for violently assaulting his Vietnamese wife in front of their three-year-old son. The Vietnamese woman was left with injuries that require four weeks of medical attention. Wearing a cap and mask to cover his face, the man, surnamed Kim, attended a court hearing to determine whether an arrest warrant should be issued. Kim said that he physically abused his wife, since it was difficult to communicate with her due to the use of different languages.

[Soundbite] KIM(ASSAULTER OF VIETNAMESE WIFE) : "Once she arrived in Korea, she insisted that she could not speak Korean. I felt frustrated, since she suddenly refused to communicate in Korean."

The court issued an arrest warrant for the man, noting that he posed a flight risk. Kim and the Vietnamese woman first met in Korea four years ago and they got married in March this year. Kim assaulted his wife more frequently after they began living together last month.

[Soundbite] PARK SONG-HEE(YEONGAM POLICE STATION) : "Their statements are conflicting. Currently, it has been confirmed that he beat his wife on two occasions."

A stream of public petitions have been posted on the website of the presidential office, calling for stern punishment for the violent husband and measures to promote the human rights of foreign women married to Korean men. National Police Agency chief Min Gab-ryong promised to thoroughly investigate the case in a meeting with a Vietnamese minister.

[Soundbite] MIN GAP-RYONG(NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY COMMISSIONER) : "All possible measures will be taken to thoroughly investigate the case and protect the victim to ensure that this case will not damage relations between the two countries."

The victim is now receiving medical attention at a hospital with her son and is said to want both harsh punishment for her husband and a divorce.