Death of George Floyd that sparked 'BLM'... City pays 30.6 billion won compensation to family

On June 8 last year (local time), the face of George Floyd was projected onto the pedestal of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The family of George Floyd, a Black man who died during an arrest due to excessive force by a white police officer, will receive approximately 30 billion won in compensation from the city.

On the 12th (local time), major foreign media reported that the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, agreed to pay $27 million (approximately 30.68 billion won) to Floyd's family in a civil lawsuit filed against the city by the family.

Of the settlement amount, $500,000 will be paid to the neighborhood where Floyd was arrested.

This settlement was reached as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who caused Floyd's death, has just entered the jury selection phase.

The attorney representing Floyd's family stated, "This settlement is the largest pre-trial civil lawsuit settlement in history," adding, "It sends a strong message that Black lives matter and that police brutality against people of color must end."

Floyd's family expressed, "We are glad that part of the tragic journey to seek justice for our brother George has been resolved."

On the 8th (local time), Bridgett Floyd, the sister of George Floyd who died, held a press conference in front of the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, in July of last year, Floyd's family filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and four former police officers including Chauvin. The family claimed that the officers physically restrained Floyd, violating his rights, and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism, and impunity to flourish within the police organization.

The death of George Floyd, which sparked the nationwide 'Black Lives Matter' movement, occurred on May 25 last year when Floyd, a Black man, died during an arrest by police. Floyd was handcuffed and pinned to the ground during the arrest on suspicion of using counterfeit money and suffocated to death.

Police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, during which Floyd repeatedly protested, saying "I can't breathe," but ultimately died. This incident caused outrage in American society, with many saying, "A person died due to excessive force by a white police officer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.