”I was in a different car” - why was a man accused of molestation? (South Korea)

A man who was indicted on charges of groping on a subway train was found not guilty after 1 year and 8 months. Police identified A based on the victim's statement and analysis of CCTV footage.
However, it turned out that A was actually riding in a completely different vehicle than the victim. A's side considered this incident to be a "fabricated investigation" rather than a simple mistake, and teased the allegations.
In March 2023, Mr. A took the subway from Sadang Station on Line 2 to Gangnam Station to arrive at work as usual. However, a few days later, he received a call from the police.
The call said, "We have received a report that you touched a woman's body." Although A thought it was a prank call, he immediately became a suspect and was formally indicted.
Police said, "The man who got off at Gangnam Station, car 4-1, matches the victim's statement," and identified him as Mr. A. The victim also chose Mr. A from the people in the photo.
The victim's statements were consistent, and the time and location were almost identical. The police determined that "the two were together on the subway at that time."
"If we just look at the report, we may be able to find him guilty," he said. However, after repeatedly reviewing the CCTV footage, the defense found something odd.
There were no seats, only regular seats were visible. After checking, A was in car 3-3. It was a completely different car from the one the victim was in.
There was a further development in court. The victim testified, "The woman the police showed me is not me."
The victim's clothing also differed from the police description: the police said he was wearing a khaki jumper, but the victim was wearing a grey cardigan.
Mr. A said, "Because the investigation was sloppy, I was found not guilty and there was no appeal."
"But the police never apologized or offered compensation," he said. A, who had long suffered from a chronic illness, was now suffering from panic disorder as a result of the incident. "I still can't breathe when I think about that day.
"It's painful for me," he said. A's lawyer questioned the police's intentions, saying, "There's no way the police didn't know the vehicle number. They claimed the victim was there even though there was no victim on CCTV."
"It's not a fabrication, but it's regrettable that the investigation was insufficient," he said. Mr. A's side plans to file charges against the investigators at the time for falsifying official documents and dereliction of duty.