Bitten in Face While Feeding Someone Else's Dog a Treat From Her Mouth... Court: "63 Million Won in Damages"

Woman in Her 20s, a Cafe Employee, Bitten by Customer's Dog
"Upper-Lip Scar Affects Career and Personal Relationships"

A court has ruled that an insurer representing a dog owner must pay more than 63 million won in damages to a woman in her 20s who was bitten in the face while trying to feed the owner's dog a treat from her mouth.

According to legal circles on Oct. 9, Judge Kim Yoonjin of the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 87, sitting alone, ruled partially in favor of A, who filed a lawsuit in August 2026 seeking 100 million won in insurance benefits from the dog owner's insurer. The court ordered the insurer to pay her 63,213,111 won, plus delayed-payment damages.

The accident occurred at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in July 2023. A, who was 27 at the time, was bitten in the face while giving a treat to a male Jindo mix that had come to the cafe where she worked with its owner. She initially offered the dog a treat by hand, but later held one in her mouth and leaned toward the dog to feed it, and was bitten on the lip.

At the time of the accident, the owner had the dog on a leash and was holding it, but did not stop A from bringing her face close to the dog. The dog had also bitten a neighbor on the buttocks about three months before the accident.

A was left with a scar on her upper left lip and an injury to the bridge of her nose. Damage to the muscles around her mouth and a loss of skin caused her lip to change in length and become asymmetrical. A then filed a lawsuit seeking 100 million won in insurance benefits from the dog owner's insurer.

The court recognized the dog owner's liability for damages. "Even a dog that is usually gentle may suddenly become aggressive," Judge Kim said. "The owner should have kept the leash short to maintain a certain distance between the dog and the woman, or warned her that bringing her face close to the dog was dangerous." The judge also found it difficult to conclude that the dog had no aggressive tendencies at all, given that it had previously bitten a neighbor.

The court found that the lasting effects of A's injuries could also affect her professional activities. She had signed a contract with a multi-channel network (MCN) company and appeared in content on the social networking service TikTok, among other activities.

"The scar on her upper left lip is very prominent and is in a place that draws people's attention when they face her," Judge Kim said. "It is significant enough to affect her ability to stay in her profession, pursue employment, and maintain personal relationships." The court therefore recognized a permanent loss of labor capacity of 12%.

However, the court also found A partly responsible for the accident. "Holding a treat in one's mouth and leaning one's face toward a dog cannot be considered a usual way of feeding a pet," Judge Kim said, adding that the behavior appeared to have provoked the dog. Considering that the owner had the dog on a leash and pulled it back immediately after the accident to prevent further injury, among other factors, the court limited the owner's liability for damages to 50%.

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