Unrepentant Apology Letter... Victim of Spinning Kick Says "I Feel Like I'm Being Choked"

Perpetrator: "Victim speaks well," "Sentence is excessive"
Reflection letter sent to the court full of grievances

The perpetrator Lee, involved in the 'Busan spinning kick' case where a woman returning home was indiscriminately assaulted, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the appellate trial, while the victim A is worried about retaliation after the perpetrator's release.

The letter of apology submitted by the perpetrator to the court has been criticized for showing little sign of remorse or apology toward A. It even contained complaints that the sentence he received was excessive and unfair.

A disclosed part of Lee's letter of apology submitted to the court through SNS. In the letter, Lee stated, "I deeply regret causing indiscriminate injury to a stranger due to misunderstanding and misconception. I should receive appropriate punishment for this," but also claimed, "If it is because I have many prior convictions, I have already served the corresponding sentences."

He continued, "The 'charges and sentences' for similar indiscriminate crimes vary, so I do not understand why I have to receive such a long prison term," expressing his grievance.

On the afternoon of the 12th, at the Busan High Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan, the victim is seen shedding tears during an interview after the appeal trial of the 'Busan Dolryeochagi Incident' concluded.
The Criminal Division 2-1 of the Busan High Court (Chief Judge Choi Hwan) sentenced defendant A to 20 years in prison during the sentencing hearing that afternoon, ordered the disclosure of personal information on information and communication networks for 10 years, restricted employment at child-related institutions for 10 years, and mandated the attachment of an electronic location tracking device for 20 years. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In another letter of apology, Lee also claimed, "The victim is recovering and I have seen that she speaks well and writes well. Are we supposed to accept all the medical certificates, opinions, and petitions (the victim's claims) just because she is a victim?"

A suffered brain damage after being hit mainly on the head when assaulted by Lee in May last year, and her right leg was paralyzed, requiring months of rehabilitation treatment. Sharing Lee's letter of apology, A pointed out, "I have no idea at all which part of this person is supposed to be remorseful."

A also expressed disappointment over Lee being sentenced to 20 years in the appellate trial. In an interview on June 13th with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' A said, "(After hearing the sentence) I felt suffocated. It means he will eventually be released, so it feels very bleak."

She added, "For the victim, it starts after the perpetrator is released. In a way, I haven't even started yet," revealing that the victim's pain does not end just because the trial is over.

As public outrage over the Busan spinning kick case grew, the political sphere also decided to consider measures to prevent recidivism.

On the 13th, the People Power Party decided to review amendments to the Criminal Act that would significantly increase sentences if the perpetrator hints at retaliation and commits secondary harm to the victim. They also planned to discuss easing the criteria and expanding the scope for public disclosure of perpetrators' identities by ordinary citizens to prevent controversy over 'private sanctions.'

However, these measures have been criticized as 'locking the barn after the horse is lost.' Since these are measures taken after the crime occurred, they are not fundamental solutions to prevent secondary harm or additional crimes.

After the appellate sentencing, A met with reporters and tearfully said, "It feels like being told to die. Lee will be 50 years old upon release. He is only four years older than me. Someone who openly threatens retaliation like that..."

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