The family of the victim in the so-called 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder' that occurred on Seoul Subway Line 2 filed a lawsuit for damages against Seoul Metro, where the victim worked, but lost the case.
On the 30th, the Civil Division 34 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Chang-mo) ruled against the plaintiffs, four family members, in their lawsuit demanding Seoul Metro and the perpetrator Jeon Ju-hwan to pay a total of 1 billion KRW in damages. The court did not disclose the reasons for the verdict in the courtroom.
Jeon Ju-hwan was sentenced to life imprisonment last October for killing a female colleague, who joined Seoul Metro at the same time, with a pre-prepared weapon in the women's restroom at Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 on September 14, 2022. At the time, Jeon Ju-hwan had been suspended from his position due to stalking crimes, but retained his status as a Seoul Metro employee, allowing him to access the victim’s address and work information through the internal network, which led to the crime.
The family filed the lawsuit claiming that Seoul Metro did not properly handle the victim’s personal information and failed in its duty to protect safety as an employer. However, Seoul Metro argued in court that "the murder was an extremely unusual case, making it practically impossible to prevent," and denied any liability for damages.
Earlier, in May, the court confirmed a mediation recommendation ordering Jeon Ju-hwan to pay 1 billion KRW to the family. However, since Jeon Ju-hwan has shown little response to the recommendation, it is unlikely that the family will actually receive the money.
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