Busan Roundhouse Kick Victim to Receive 15 Million Won in State Compensation as Ministry of Justice Decides Not to Appeal

by Byun Seonjin

Published 05 Mar.2026 17:11(KST)

Jeong Sungho: "My Apologies and Condolences to the Victim"

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 5th that it has decided not to appeal the first-instance court ruling recognizing the government's liability for state compensation to the victim of the so-called 'Busan Roundhouse Kick Incident.'

Yonhap News Agency

Justice Minister Jeong Sungho stated on the same day, "We solemnly accept the ruling that acknowledges the state's responsibility for shortcomings during the investigation process, and I offer my apologies and condolences to the victim who suffered."

The Busan Roundhouse Kick Incident refers to the case where victim A was subjected to a random assault by a man in his 30s, surnamed Lee, whom she did not know, in the shared entrance of an officetel in Busanjin-gu, Busan, in May 2022. At the time, nationwide outrage erupted after CCTV footage was released showing Lee chasing A and striking her with a roundhouse kick.

Lee was initially indicted on charges of attempted murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison at the first trial. However, in the appellate trial, the charge was changed to attempted rape and murder, and the sentence was increased to 20 years in prison, which was finalized by the Supreme Court.

Subsequently, A filed a claim for damages of 50 million won against the state, arguing that investigative authorities failed to secure objective evidence that could reveal circumstances of sexual violence and did not inform her of suspicious circumstances, thereby causing her to miss opportunities for evidence collection.

Last month, the court ruled, "even though the possibility of a sexual crime could have been sufficiently anticipated in the early stages of the investigation, the authorities failed to properly clarify this, causing the victim to suffer psychological distress," and recognized the government's liability for state compensation in the amount of 15 million won.