Court sides with 'Busan spinning-kick' attacker, letting him access prison funds

A court has granted a request by the perpetrator in the "Busan spinning-kick" case — in which a man violently assaulted a woman he had never met — to access a portion of his prison funds.

The victim's side said it plans to appeal the ruling, which came even as the attacker has yet to properly pay court-ordered damages.

According to legal sources Monday, the Busan District Court's Western Branch granted a petition filed by the attacker, identified only by his surname Lee, to modify the scope of his garnishment-exempt funds, allowing him to use up to 100,000 won ($66) per month from his prison account.

Under the ruling, Lee is guaranteed access to up to 100,000 won a month from his prison account — money deposited by inmates or their families for use within a correctional facility.

In October 2024, the Busan District Court ruled in favor of the victim, identified only by her surname Kim, in a 100 million won damages lawsuit she had filed against Lee.

Kim had planned to recover the damages by garnishing Lee's prison account, but his balance had fallen below 1,000 won, making any seizure effectively impossible.

With the court now approving the modification to expand his garnishment-exempt funds, recovering the damages is expected to become even more difficult.

"He has never once voluntarily paid any compensation," Kim said. "Of the 100 million won, I have recovered only about 463,000 won — less than 1 percent."

"This is the result of the court considering only the perpetrator's position, and I am not sure it fully weighed the implications of this decision," she added. "I am concerned that perpetrators who owe damages to other victims may exploit this ruling to protect their own interests."

종전 기대에 돌아온 외국인, ‘팔천피’ 질주…코스피, 9000선 겨냥 ‘재시동’ [투자360]

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