Court Orders 1.3 Billion Won State Compensation for Victim Falsely Accused in Yakkchon Five-Way Intersection Murder Case

"Investigation Process Illegal... Liability for Compensation Exists"

Seoul Central District Court / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The state has been ordered to pay 1.3 billion KRW in compensation to Choi Mo, who was wrongfully imprisoned after being falsely accused as the perpetrator of the so-called 'Yakkchon Five-way Intersection Murder Case' that occurred in Iksan, Jeonbuk.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 45 (Presiding Judge Seongho Lee) ruled on the 13th in favor of Choi in a damages lawsuit he filed against the state and the police officers and prosecutors involved in the investigation at the time. The court stated, "The state shall compensate Choi with 1.3 billion KRW," and "The responsible police officers and prosecutors shall jointly pay approximately 260 million KRW of this amount on behalf of the state." The court also ordered the state to pay a total of 300 million KRW to Choi's family, of which 60 million KRW is to be jointly paid by the responsible police officers and prosecutors.

Choi was prosecuted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly stabbing and killing taxi driver Yoo Mo (then 42) near Yakkchon Five-way Intersection in Yeongdeung-dong, Iksan, Jeonbuk, around 2 a.m. on August 10, 2000, when he was 16 years old. After being released in 2013 upon completion of his sentence, Choi filed for a retrial, claiming he had falsely confessed under police coercion. In November 2016, the court acquitted Choi. Subsequently, Choi and his family filed a lawsuit in May 2017, claiming damages for lost income and severe mental suffering caused by being wrongfully imprisoned for 10 years under a murder accusation.

After holding the first hearing in July 2019 and deliberating for about a year and a half, the court ruled in favor of Choi. The court stated, "The defendant police officers conducted an unlawful investigation that was neither scientific nor logical against plaintiff Choi," and "The prosecutors also concealed the truth of the case for a long time, thus they have an obligation to compensate the plaintiffs for the mental suffering they endured."

The defendants argued in court that the statute of limitations had expired, absolving them of compensation responsibility. However, the court ruled, "This damages lawsuit was filed within six months from the date the retrial acquittal of plaintiff Choi was finalized," and "The defendants' claim of expiration of the statute of limitations is an abuse of rights and cannot be accepted."

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