Court Allows 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' Attacker to Spend Prison Funds Despite Unpaid Damages

A court has issued a ruling allowing the perpetrator of the so-called "Busan roundhouse kick" case to use a certain amount of money from his prison deposit account every month while serving his sentence.

According to legal circles, the Busan District Court Western Branch recently accepted a request filed by the perpetrator, identified by his surname Lee, to "change the scope of seized claims," allowing him to use up to 100,000 won per month from his prison funds during his incarceration.

Prison funds refer to money deposited by the inmate or their family for use within the facility.

Previously, the victim of the case won a 100 million won damages lawsuit against Lee. As Lee has failed to pay the compensation, the victim attempted to seize his prison funds to recover a portion of the damages.

However, Lee's account balance was less than 1,000 won, making seizure practically impossible.

Under these circumstances, Lee filed a request to be allowed to use his prison funds for expenses such as medical bills and purchases at the prison commissary, and the court ultimately granted the request.

The victim strongly protested, stating, "This ruling effectively neutralizes the seizure of damages."

The victim expressed her outrage, saying, "The total amount recovered so far is only about 460,000 won, which is less than 1% of the total damages," and added, "This is a decision that only sides with the perpetrator, who has not voluntarily paid a single cent in compensation."

She further stated, "I am concerned that other perpetrators who owe damages to their victims will abuse this ruling," and announced her intention to immediately appeal the court's decision.

Lee, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court, was additionally sentenced to one year in prison for charges including retaliatory threats against the victim and is currently undergoing a second trial.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Lee Da-in | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.