Korean Woman Jailed For Defending Herself Receives Apology After 61 Years
The woman was convicted for biting her attacker's tongue in self-defence.
In a moment of overdue justice, South Korean prosecutors have officially apologised to Choi Mal Ja, who was convicted of fighting back against a s*xual attack in 1964. Choi, then only 18, was attacked in her apartment in Gimhae by a 21-year-old man who raped her, holding her down and sticking his tongue into her mouth. Fleeing in terror, Choi bit off his tongue. Read on to know more about the case.
South Korean Woman, Choi Mal Ja, Wongfully Convicted
Rather than being protected as a victim, Choi Mal Ja was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for grievous bodily harm. Her attacker received only a suspended sentence for trespassing and intimidation, without being charged for attempted rape. The court had ruled that Choi’s actions had exceeded permissible self-defence.
For more than six decades, Choi had carried the shame of a criminal record in silence, intimidated by fear and embarrassment. Inspired by the rising protests under the #MeToo movement in South Korea, she decided to fight for her right to be cleared of the charges and petitioned for a retrial in 2020. Notwithstanding initial rejections, the Supreme Court finally granted an order for a retrial, which opened on July 22, 2025.
At the first hearing, Busan’s Chief Prosecutor Jeong Myeong Won apologised in public, saying, “We have inflicted Choi Mal Ja, a s*x crime victim, unimaginable pain and suffering.” Choi, who is 79 years old now, said to reporters, “For 61 years, the state forced me to live like a criminal. I hope that the next generation can live in a world free from s*xual violence.
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A final decision will be made on September 10, and most hope that the court will formally reverse her conviction, reinstating not only Choi Mal Ja’s legal standing, but her dignity as well.
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First Published: July 24, 2025 11:02 AM
