Gwangju City and Gwangsan District to Share Compensation for Pungyeongjeongcheon Elementary Student Death Accident

Court Finalizes Compulsory Mediation
City and District to Split 400 Million Won Reimbursement Equally

Gwangju City and Gwangsan District will share the compensation costs for the death of an elementary school student that occurred in an urban stream.

According to the legal community on September 25, Chief Judge Kim Hyesun of the Gwangju District Court Civil Division 2 recently finalized a compulsory mediation reflecting this agreement.

The court decided last month that the 400 million won in accident reimbursement and litigation costs initially paid by Gwangju City should be split equally between the city and the district, with each bearing 50%. After a review period, both parties accepted the mediation plan without filing any objections.

In June 2021, two elementary school students slipped and died while playing with water guns on stepping stones in Pungyeongjeongcheon. At the time, the stream was swollen due to rainwater. It was pointed out that the lack of warning signs and rescue equipment contributed to the severity of the accident.

Gwangju City argued that Gwangsan District, which was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the stream facilities, also bore responsibility. As the two sides could not resolve their differences, the matter proceeded to litigation.

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