State and Police Ordered to Pay Over 300 Million Won to Victim in 'Incheon Stabbing Rampage' Case

Two Responding Police Officers Left the Scene
Victim Underwent Brain Surgery After Stabbing

The victim's side in the 2021 "Incheon Apartment Noise Stabbing Incident" filed a lawsuit against the state, holding police officers accountable for their inadequate response, and partially won the case.

On June 20, Yonhap News Agency reported that the Incheon District Court's Civil Division 13 (presided over by Judge Shin Jonghwan) had made a partial ruling in favor of the family of victim A, a woman in her 40s, in their claim for damages against the state. The court ordered both the state and the police officers responsible for the inadequate response to jointly pay the victim A's family approximately 350 million won. Of the more than 2 billion won in damages claimed by the victim's side, the court recognized only part of the liability for compensation. Each party was ordered to bear its own litigation costs.

The husband of victim A, who was assaulted with a weapon, is pushing a police officer and climbing the stairs. Provided by victim A’s side, Yonhap News Agency.

The stabbing incident occurred on November 15, 2021, at a villa in Namdong-gu, Incheon. At the time, former police lieutenant A and former police officer B, who were serving at a local police precinct under the Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station, responded to the scene but left without protecting the victim, sparking controversy. It was reported that after the police officers left the scene, C, a man in his 50s who lived on the fourth floor of the villa, wielded a weapon against three family members living on the third floor. Victim A was stabbed in the neck and required brain surgery. C was tried on charges of attempted murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison. The two police officers who responded to the scene were later indicted for dereliction of duty and each was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years.

At the time, former lieutenant A claimed he left the building because radio communication was poor inside, while former officer B reportedly stated that after seeing spurting blood, he experienced a "blackout" and could not remember what happened. That same month, the police convened a disciplinary committee and dismissed both A and B for breach of duty of fidelity. Dismissal is a severe disciplinary action in the police force, second only to removal, and those dismissed cannot be reappointed as civil servants for three years.

On this day, the legal team, including attorney Kim Minho of LKB Peacean, issued a statement saying, "This verdict concerns a case that became a decisive turning point eroding public trust in police authority," and added, "It is significant that the court sounded a stern warning regarding police authority." However, the legal team stated, "We are disappointed with the amount of compensation awarded, and after a thorough review of the written judgment, we will decide whether to appeal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.