"Busan Roundhouse Kick" Perpetrator Ordered to Pay 100 Million Won in Damages to Victim

Ordered to Pay Damages in Civil Suit Separate from Criminal Sentence
Filed an Appeal, but Dismissed for Failing to Complete Procedures

The perpetrator in the so-called "Busan Roundhouse Kick" case, who assaulted a woman in her twenties with the intent to sexually assault her, has been ordered to pay 100 million won in damages to the victim, with the ruling now finalized.

On October 21, the Busan District Court Civil Division 3 (Presiding Judge Choi Young) announced that it had rendered a final judgment in favor of the plaintiff in the 100 million won damages lawsuit filed by the victim against the perpetrator, Lee Mo (32).

The court stated that during the proceedings, the defendant, Lee, never appeared in court nor submitted any written statements. As a result, the court regarded the plaintiff’s claims as admitted by default, and fully upheld the plaintiff’s claim for damages.

Perpetrator Lee Mo (32) in the Busan spinning kick incident

In response, Lee filed an appeal but reportedly failed to pay the required court fees and service charges for the appeal. Consequently, he was served with an order dismissing his appeal.

With this ruling, Lee is required to pay 100 million won in damages to the victim. However, due to the nature of civil litigation, it is reported that if the defendant has no assets, actual seizure or enforcement could be difficult.

Meanwhile, Lee was accused of following the victim for about ten minutes with the intent to sexually assault her, before attacking her at the shared entrance of an officetel and attempting to kill her at around 5 a.m. on May 22, 2022, in Seomyeon, Busanjin District, Busan.

Initially, Lee was indicted on charges of attempted murder. However, during the appeals trial, prosecutors uncovered additional evidence, such as Lee’s DNA being found on the victim’s jeans, and amended the indictment to attempted rape and murder.

Previously, the Supreme Court upheld the original sentence of 20 years in prison for Lee. Separately from the criminal punishment, the victim also filed a civil lawsuit seeking 100 million won in damages, holding Lee accountable for secondary harm suffered during the crime and the civil proceedings.

Additionally, the victim has filed a separate damages lawsuit against the state, holding it responsible for negligent investigation.

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