A South Korean woman who spent decades branded as an offender has finally been cleared after a court overturned her conviction for injuring a man during an attempted sexual assault.
Choi Mal-ja, now 79, was only 18 when she bit off part of her attacker’s tongue while trying to break free in Gimhae.
Instead of being recognised as a victim, she was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while the man — who also intimidated her and even broke into her home with a knife — received a lighter suspended sentence.
Her case, long cited as an example of the justice system’s failure to acknowledge self-defence in sexual violence, was reopened after years of campaigning.
Inspired by the #MeToo movement, Choi gathered evidence with support from advocacy groups and petitioned for a retrial. The Supreme Court granted her request in late 2024, leading to Wednesday’s acquittal in Busan.
Prosecutors themselves apologised and asked the court to drop the original ruling, admitting it was shaped by bias and outdated social attitudes.
Choi’s lawyer, Kim Soo-jung, called the earlier conviction a grave misjudgment, praising her client’s determination to keep fighting until justice was achieved.
Choi has announced plans to file a lawsuit against the state for wrongful conviction. Women’s rights advocates say her victory will strengthen recognition of self-defence in cases of sexual assault and encourage more survivors to speak out.
Her story adds to a wider shift in South Korea, where recent rulings have increasingly acknowledged women’s right to protect themselves from sexual violence.