Victim's Appeal Rejected... 'Busan Spinning Kick' Perpetrator Still Allowed 100,000 Won a Month in Inmate Funds

Legal dispute over victim’s application to seize inmate funds
Busan District Court dismisses victim’s appeal... permits use of funds

The appellate court granted the perpetrator in the “Busan spinning kick” case’s request to withdraw part of the inmate funds seized to compensate the victim, allowing him to use the money each month.

Kim, the victim in the Busan roundhouse kick case, speaks at a forum titled “The Gates of Hell Have Opened: A Ban on Supplementary Investigations” at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on Aug. 4, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

According to legal sources on Oct. 22, the Busan District Court’s Civil Division 9-2, presided over by Judge Kim Dong-hyun, dismissed an appeal by Kim Jinju (a pen name), the victim, in a case seeking to change the scope of claims exempt from seizure against the perpetrator. It upheld the lower court’s decision allowing Lee (30) to use up to 100,000 won of his inmate funds per month.

In February 2025, Kim applied to have Lee’s inmate funds seized and obtained a court order, seeking to collect 100 million won in damages she had won in a lawsuit against him.

Lee then filed an application to change the scope of claims exempt from seizure, a procedure for adjusting the amount protected from seizure, citing living expenses and medical costs. The legal dispute continued.

In June, the lower court ruled that Lee could use up to 100,000 won of his inmate funds per month while in custody. Under an earlier ruling on his application, Lee had been permitted to use 150,000 won in inmate funds on a one-time basis in July 2025. With the court’s additional ruling in his favor, he is now guaranteed access to 100,000 won each month.

Kim appealed the ruling, arguing that Lee receives food, clothing, shelter and medical services while serving his sentence, so his inmate funds cannot be considered essential for his daily living; that he had not provided specific evidence of his living needs; and that most of the damages owed to her had not been recovered.

However, the appellate panel ruled: “The lower court reached its decision after considering Lee’s living circumstances, the amount of money held in his account and how it was used, and other relevant circumstances, as reflected in the full case record, including the written submissions from the opposing party, the inmate’s medical records, the account ledger and medical expense statements. We find this decision to be justified.”

Lee is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, finalized by the Supreme Court, for chasing Kim, whom he did not know, on a street in Busanjin-gu, Busan, at around 5 a.m. on May 22, 2022, knocking her unconscious with a spinning kick and attempting to sexually assault her. After his arrest, he was also sentenced to an additional year in prison by the first-instance court for, among other things, threatening retaliation against Kim. The second-instance court is expected to deliver its ruling soon.

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