A teenage girl has been arrested after allegedly pouring boiling water over her mother, who tried to stop her from running away from home.

The Namyangju Nambu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said Aug. 15 that it had arrested the girl, identified only as A, and was questioning her on suspicion of aggravated injury to a parent.

According to police, A allegedly poured boiling water from an electric kettle over her mother, identified as B, at their home in Namyangju at around 12:50 a.m. that day.

The incident reportedly occurred after the two argued and A said she wanted to leave home. When B tried to stop her and take away her cellphone, A allegedly poured boiling water on her.

Police arrived after a neighbor reported the incident and arrested A at the scene.

Although A is a minor, she is not considered a juvenile below the age of criminal responsibility, according to police. Under Korean law, children aged 10 to under 14 are classified as “juvenile offenders” who cannot face criminal punishment but may be subject to protective measures.

B suffered second-degree burns and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Her injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Police are also considering seeking temporary measures to separate the mother and daughter to protect the victim.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.