A Flawed System

Almost thirteen years ago on December 11th, 8-year old Na-young (pseudonym) was kidnapped by 57-year old Cho Doo Soon on her way to school. It would have been absurd to prepare for a physical assault so severe that it would leave permanent damages. An ordinary day would certainly would not entail a brutal rape that would scar Na-young for the rest of her life, leaving her to struggle with mental trauma. But in the end, 8-year old Na-young was kidnapped and sexually and physically assaulted in a church public restroom. The day was no longer ordinary. And despite the country’s anticipation of Cho’s equal, if not harsher punishment, South Korea rose in outage as the case closed with a mere twelve-year sentence. Na-young’s father proclaimed with despair that the court was doing a service to Cho for letting him hide from his crimes in prison. Eventually, in 2021, Cho walks on the streets of Na-young’s hometown and the place of the crime 12 years later.

On January 2021, the South Korean justice system was faced with an outraged global audience as they sentenced murderer parents 5 years in prison. Sixteen-month old toddler, Jung-in, was rushed to the hospital on October of 2020 after suffering fatal internal and external injuries due to domestic abuse from her adopted parents. Physicians relayed to the public that Jung-in’s body revealed prolonged abuse from the discoloration of her bruises, as well as damaged bones, especially the child’s abdomen. It is believed that adoptive mother Jung had repeatedly beat her child, stomping on her abdomen, while adoptive father Ahn purposely failed to interfere, aiding his wife in the abuse. As a result, the country’s public, as well as the rest of the world, grieved as Jung-in’s death was announced. At the news of the Ahn’s meager 5-year sentence and a lack of update on Jung’s sentence, the court was under fire as the public rallied a petition demanding proper reparations for the atrocity. 

It should be noted that South Korea’s public’s response to both cases was entirely appropriate. Four years after the public was shaken of Na-young’s rape case, movie director Lee Joon-ik proceeded to direct Hope to raise awareness of the situation, which famously won the Baeksang Arts Award Grand Prize in Film. In addition, as a result of Jung-in’s case’s petition, protestors gathered outside the court, rallying support for a death penalty, rather than a measly prison sentence. Despite the public’s admirable attempts to raise awareness, it fails to take away from the fact that both courts’ responses to both atrocities remain cavalier. The court displayed their imprudency upon Na-young’s case by accepting Cho’s plead: that he was under the influence and had no control over his actions, that his unsolicited abuse towards an innocent 8-year old girl was completely unintentional. Both incidents were a direct testament to South Korea of its corrupt justice system that handles situations as severe as abuse in a nonchalant manner. 

There are hundreds of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and murder cases, painfully similar to Na-young and Jung-in’s cases. Many of them are yet to be properly addressed, and victims remain uncompensated for their traumatic experiences. What is the most upsetting, however, is that a highly-developed country like South Korea that is thriving in economic prosperity, fails to properly punish their criminals. The government system prioritizes the defendant’s mental state during the time of the crime, rather than considering the weight of the crime itself.  

As the South Korean public pleads for the girls’ justice, the victims’ families ask that their daughters’ stories be memorialized. Na-young’s father asks the court to offer their condolences by simply acknowledging the crimes that were committed. “ ‘It will be more helpful, if there is an appointed public official or social worker who can keep in touch with victims,’ ” Na-young’s father said. The families of Na-young and Jung-in are not looking for a chance to publicly humiliate the justice system, but rather an indication that despite the minimal effort displayed in commemorating the victims, the court and the South Korean public emphasizes and understands the loss they have suffered.

 

Sources
Lee, William. “South Korea: Child rapist’s release sparks demand for change”. BBC News. BBC Korea. 2021 January 5. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55465099 

“Adoptive mother given fatal life sentence for fatal child abuse.” Yonhap News Agency. 2021 May 14. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210514006751315 

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