[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The government has decided not to appeal the state compensation ruling for Yoon Seong-yeo (55), who was wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years after being falsely accused as the perpetrator of the 8th case in the Lee Chun-jae serial murder series.
The Ministry of Justice announced on the 1st that it would forgo appealing against Yoon. It explained, "Considering the extremely serious illegality, including unlawful arrest and detention, cruel treatment, the fact that the victim served about 20 years in prison, and that even after release, he suffered social isolation and cold treatment under the false accusation of being a rapist of a 13-year-old girl."
The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 45 (Presiding Judge Kim Kyung-soo) ruled last month in a damages lawsuit filed by Yoon against the state that the government must pay a total of 2.17 billion KRW to Yoon and his family. With the government deciding not to appeal, if Yoon’s side also refrains from appealing, this ruling will be finalized as is.
Yoon was arrested in July the following year after being accused of raping and murdering Park Mo (then 13 years old) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, in September 1988. Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment in the first trial. This verdict remained unchanged in the appeal trial. Ultimately, Yoon served 20 years and was paroled in 2009. Later, in October 2019, Lee Chun-jae confessed to being the true culprit of the serial murder cases, opening the path for exoneration. Yoon filed for a retrial, and in December 2020, 32 years after the incident, he was acquitted.
The Ministry of Justice also decided not to appeal the state compensation ruling for the bereaved families of the victim in the 'Hwaseong elementary school student disappearance case,' one of the cases Lee Chun-jae confessed to. It stated, "Considering that due to intentional illegal acts by the responsible police officers, the victim’s family was unable to confirm the victim’s death for about 30 years, and as time passed, they were deprived of the opportunity to mourn and pay tribute without even recovering the body."
Last month, the Suwon District Court Civil Division 15 (Presiding Judge Lee Chun-geun) ruled that the state must compensate the Hwaseong elementary school victim’s family with 220 million KRW.
Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, said, "Since this is a case where the state’s clear wrongdoing caused irreparable damage, we must fully disclose the state’s mistakes and ensure prompt compensation. As the person responsible for legal administration, I sincerely and deeply apologize on behalf of the state to the victims and their families who have suffered for a long time."
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