Justice Prevails: Woman Acquitted After 61 Years for Self-Defense

Tue Oct 21 2025 02:11:14 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Choi Mal-ja, a South Korean woman, has finally been acquitted after a decades-long battle over her conviction for biting off her attacker's tongue during a sexual assault. This case has significant implications for self-defense laws in South Korea.

After a lengthy campaign for justice, Choi Mal-ja has been acquitted of charges stemming from an incident decades prior where she bit off her attacker's tongue during an assault. Initially convicted and sentenced at age 18, Choi's case has highlighted issues of gender bias within the legal system and the challenges faced by victims of sexual violence in South Korea. Supporters believe this acquittal will pave the way for greater recognition of women's self-defense rights.

A South Korean woman has been acquitted after a court revisited her decades-old conviction for biting off the tongue of a man during an alleged sexual attack.

Choi Mal-ja was 18 when she was convicted of grievous bodily harm and sentenced to 10 months in jail. Her aggressor, who was 21, received a lighter sentence of six months.

After a years-long campaign to clear her name, a retrial began in the southern city of Busan in July. Prosecutors apologized to her and requested the court to quash the conviction.

I could not let this case go unanswered... I wanted to stand up for other victims who share the same fate as mine, Ms Choi said after the acquittal.

As a teenager, the incident changed her fate by turning [me] from a victim to an accused. She was warned against pursuing her case, but remained undeterred.

Ms Choi's case has since been a pivotal example in South Korean legal textbooks regarding self-defense in sexual violence cases.

The attacker pinned Ms Choi, who only managed to escape by biting off part of his tongue. Despite this, the man faced no charges for attempted rape; instead, he received a six-month suspended sentence for intimidation.

In 2018, influenced by the #MeToo movement, she sought the help of advocacy groups, collecting evidence for her petition to reopen her case.

In 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to her retrial. Feedback from her supporters during the recent proceedings suggested this victory could inspire future discussions about women's rights and justice in South Korea.

Ms Choi intends to file a civil lawsuit against the state, and advocates hope this case will lead to a better understanding of women's defensive actions in court.