The student, a 20‑year‑old engineering aspirant, traveled to Jeonbuk National University in South Korea in early June as part of a study program that his family insists was not an official Oregon Tech exchange. He had been living on campus for three weeks when, according to his mother Iris Cox, he suffered a sudden blackout on June 22 that left him disoriented and wandering in a dentist’s office.
Security‑camera footage later released in court documents showed the student inside the dentist’s office, where he opened packages, snatched small items, and bent a pair of glasses, creating damage estimated at ₹170 (about $2‑3). The scene, captured in the 11‑second clip, was the key evidence presented to the police.
He was taken into custody the same day and spent roughly 40 days in jail, most of it in solitary confinement, according to Cox. The prolonged isolation, she said, worsened his mental‑health condition, which already included autism and a history of seizures.
A South Korean court later found that the student lacked criminal responsibility due to his mental state and acquitted him of theft and trespassing. However, prosecutors appealed the verdict, leaving the case unresolved. An exit ban linked to the pending appeal now prevents the student from leaving the country, effectively trapping him in Seoul.
The family posted bail and even brought the student’s father to South Korea to stay with him during the legal limbo. They appealed to Senator Ron Wyden’s office, which in turn reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. The embassy confirmed it could not intervene in Korea’s judicial process, citing sovereignty.
The appeal is scheduled for review by the Seoul High Court in early October. If the appellate court upholds the acquittal, the exit ban may be lifted, allowing the student to depart. Until then, the student remains in detention, underscoring the complex interplay between mental‑health defenses and international legal frameworks.