The case of Choi Mal-ja, who defended herself in South Korea, is now one of the most well-known cases of unfairness and gender bias in the court system. When she was only 18 years old, Choi was found guilty of grievous bodily harm for biting off part of a man’s tongue while trying to stop a sexual attack.
- What happened during the first attack?
- What effect did the conviction have on Choi’s life?
- Why did she want justice so long after the fact?
- What happened at the retrial?
- What did Choi and her counsel say after she was found not guilty?
- What does this decision signify for people who have been sexually assaulted?
- Has this happened before in South Korea?
- Why is Choi’s case so crucial for South Korea right now?
The court gave her 10 months in jail, but the man who attacked her, who was 21 at the time, only got six months. At the time, the decision stunned many people who thought the court didn’t understand how desperate she was.
The justice system turned her into a criminal instead of seeing her as a victim of an attempted sexual assault. For decades, legal textbooks have used the case as an example of how not to recognize valid self-defense in sexual abuse situations.
What happened during the first attack?
The court records show that the event happened in the southern town of Gimhae. The person who attacked Choi held her down and wouldn’t let her go. She bit off around 1.5 cm (0.59 in) of his tongue in a last-ditch effort to get away. That action provided her a chance to get away.
The attacker didn’t recognize her survival sense; instead, he asked for money for his wounds. He even broke into Choi’s house with a knife to scare her even more. He was never prosecuted for attempted rape, even though he acted violently. He didn’t go to jail, but he did get a six-month prison term that was put on hold for trespassing and threatening someone.
Choi, on the other hand, was punished more severely. During the investigation, she was held for six months and then given a ten-month sentence, which was put on hold for two years. At the time, the court said that what she did went beyond “the reasonable bounds of self-defense,” even if she was trying to protect herself from sexual violence.
What effect did the conviction have on Choi’s life?
The conviction had terrible effects. Choi was called a criminal instead of being seen as a survivor. She talked about how the lawsuit altered everything for her: “The incident turned me from a victim to an accused.” People told me that if I fought it, it would be like throwing eggs at a rock, but I couldn’t let this matter go.
Choi said that the shame and disgrace she felt lasted for decades. Even though she was the one who was attacked, she had to live with the label of an offender. She kept coming up, not just for herself but also for future victims, because she felt that it was unfair.
Why did she want justice so long after the fact?
Choi discovered fresh reasons to act almost 60 years after she was pronounced guilty. She chose to tell her own tale again in 2018, when the #MeToo movement was gaining ground throughout the world and in South Korea. The campaign gave her the strength to speak out and declare that victims of sexual violence should not remain quiet.
She contacted advocacy groups, such as the Korea Women’s Hotline, and started gathering proof. She worked on her case for two years and then asked for a new trial.
At first, people didn’t pay attention to what she was doing. Lower courts said there wasn’t enough proof to back up her claims of self-defense. But Choi stayed strong. She stated she couldn’t just watch other women go through the same thing.
“[Victims] shouldn’t have to go through the pain alone,” she added in an interview before.
What happened at the retrial?
After years of trying, the Supreme Court of South Korea finally agreed to her request for a new trial in December 2024. This was a turning point not just for Choi but for all the victims of sexual abuse in the country.
In Busan, the retrial started in July 2025. In a rather strange move, the prosecution apologized to Choi during the first hearing and asked the court to throw out her conviction from decades ago. They said they were wrong, which showed that they knew the legal system had failed her all those years ago.
The court ultimately let Choi go free on Wednesday. The choice marked an emotional end to her protracted fight. Outside the courts, her fans held up signs that said, “Choi Mal-ja did it!” and “Choi Mal-ja succeeded.” Read another article on Germany defence spending
What did Choi and her counsel say after she was found not guilty?
After being found not guilty, Choi thanked everyone who had helped her and criticized the people in charge who had wronged her.
“They used their power to hurt the weak and twist the law,” she added.
Kim Soo-jung, her lawyer, said that the first conviction was a “misjudgment due to gender bias and societal perceptions.” She stressed that the result proved that staying strong and brave may bring about long-overdue justice:
“Because Choi Mal-ja never gave up in her fight, the prosecution and the courts were able to fix that mistake today.”
Choi also said that she will sue the state in civil court to get money for the years of unfair treatment she had to deal with.
What does this decision signify for people who have been sexually assaulted?
People in South Korea today consider the acquittal as a turning point in the quest for justice for victims of sexual abuse. Advocacy groups think that the decision will help ensure that self-defense cases are handled correctly in the future.
The Korea Women’s Hotline, one of the groups that backed Choi, applauded the verdict, saying it will have a long-lasting effect. Song Ran-hee, the group’s leader, said, “From now on, women’s defensive actions will be seen as okay.” I think this will mean that fewer women will have to go through unfair pain. It tells victims at the very least that their voices matter. “Speak up.”
The South Korea self-defense case’s verdict is likely to change how courts look at self-defense in sexual violence cases in the future.
Has this happened before in South Korea?
Choi’s ordeal was not a one-time thing. At least two other ladies in South Korea have bitten the tongues of their attackers to protect themselves. Women who fought back in the same way were found not guilty in Andong in 1988 and again in Busan in 2020. Both times, the judges said that what they did was legal self-defense.
What makes Choi’s case different is how long it took for justice to be done. For decades, her conviction showed how the justice system failed to protect victims. Today, her acquittal stands for strength and the hope that the courts will never silence another victim.
Why is Choi’s case so crucial for South Korea right now?
The South Korean self-defense case of Choi Mal-ja extends beyond her own narrative. It shows how gender bias, societal attitudes, and shortcomings in the legal system can affect the lives of sexual abuse victims. Her exoneration shows that change can happen when people are persistent, speak out, and are brave.
The verdict not only clears Choi’s name by overturning a decades-old injustice, but it also gives other victims the courage to speak out. It shows that justice can still be done even when it takes a long time.
Her win is now a sign of hope for people who have been sexually assaulted, sending the message that no one should ever be punished for defending themselves against abuse.
