Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Sentenced to 23 Years for Aiding Insurrection

The headline ruling A Seoul court sentenced Han Duck-soo, former Prime Minister, to 23 years in prison for aiding an insurrection and performing key roles in…

Supreme Court Says the State Can Recover Medical Costs for an Inmate’s Self-Harm Treatment

Core holding (Supreme Court): The Korean government can seek reimbursement (recourse) for medical expenses it paid to treat an inmate’s injuries caused by the inmate’s intentional…

Supreme Court Ends ‘Affair’ Narrative: Ex-UN Singer Choi Jung-won Cleared in Divorce-Linked Dispute

What happened: South Korea’s Supreme Court dismissed the ex-husband’s appeal, finalizing the appellate ruling in a divorce dispute tied to public “affair” allegations involving Choi Jung-won…

Teacher’s Death During Training Period Exercise Not Deemed Work-Related Injury

🔎 Case Summary The court held that a teacher’s death after collapsing while playing badminton during a training period did not qualify as a work-related injury,…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Rape of an Incapacitated Person

고 소 장 Criminal Complaint — 1. 고소인 1. Complainant 성명 ○   ○   ○Name: ○   ○   ○ 주민등록번호Resident Registration Number: 주소 ○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○Address: ○○○-○○, ○○-dong, ○○-gu, ○○ City…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Occupational Negligence Resulting in Bodily Injury

고 소 장 Criminal Complaint — 1. 고소인 1. Complainant 성명 ○   ○   ○Name: ○   ○   ○ 주민등록번호Resident Registration Number: 주소 ○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○Address: ○○○-○○, ○○-dong, ○○-gu, ○○ City…

Korea’s Tobacco Lawsuit, Round Two: Health Insurer Loses Again After 12-Year Legal Fight

What the case was about: Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) sued major tobacco companies seeking about KRW 53.3 billion (₩533억) in damages. NHIS argued the…

Ocean World Drowning: Court Finds Operator, Safety Contractor, and Group Leader Jointly Liable (₩470 Million Award)

🔎 Case Summary A South Korean court held a water park operator, its outsourced safety management company, and a taekwondo academy director jointly liable for the…

When Public Interest Outweighs Silence: Constitutional Court Clears ‘Unanswered Questions’ PD Over Jeong-in Coverage

South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously overturned prosecutors’ decision to grant a suspended indictment against an SBS Unanswered Questions (그것이 알고싶다) Producer who broadcast unaltered photos of…

‘You Ruined My Family’ : Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Father-in-Law Who Stabbed Daughter-in-Law

A man in his 70s was sentenced to three years in prison for the attempted murder of his daughter-in-law, with the ruling upheld on appeal. The…

Betrayal Within the Family: Woman Sentenced to Prison for ₩1.1 Billion Fraud Against In-Laws

A woman in her 50s was sentenced on appeal to four years in prison for committing large-scale fraud against her in-laws and acquaintances. The ruling was…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Interference with Business

고 소 장 Criminal Complaint — 1. 고소인 1. Complainant 성명 ○   ○   ○Name: ○   ○   ○ 주민등록번호Resident Registration Number: 주소 ○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○Address: ○○-○○, ○○-dong, ○○-gu, ○○-si 직업Occupation:…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Infliction of Bodily Injury

고 소 장 Criminal Complaint — 고소인 Complainant 김○기 (810723-1111111)Kim ○-gi (Resident Registration No. 810723-1111111) 010-7287-**** — 피고소인 Accused 박○민 (800221-1111111)Park ○-min (Resident Registration No. 800221-1111111)…

Affair, Murder, and Concealment: Life Sentence Finalized in Bukhan River Body Disposal Case

South Korea’s Supreme Court has finalized a life sentence for Yang Gwang-jun (39), a former military officer convicted of murder, corpse mutilation, and body disposal. Yang…

Supreme Court Reverses Appellate Judgment After AI Flags Procedural Error

🔎 What Happened A Korean legal-tech AI analyzed an appellate criminal judgment and identified a procedural error the appellate court had overlooked. The defense adopted the…

Korean Court Recognizes Firefighter’s Leukemia as a Work-Related Illness

At a glance, this case answers a hard question:Can a serious illness that appears decades later still be legally tied to frontline public service? The court…

Forgot to Scan a 1,500-Won Snack: Constitutional Court Cancels Prosecutor’s Non-Indictment Disposition

A South Korean student who allegedly took a KRW 1,500 snack from an unmanned store without paying was given a prosecutor’s “suspension of indictment” (기소유예), but…

A One-Minute Mistake with a Price Tag: Korean Court Increases State Compensation for Early CSAT Bell

A South Korean appellate court has upheld state liability for a 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) incident in which the exam-ending bell rang one minute…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Crime of False Accusation

고소장 Criminal Complaint — 고소인 Complainant 안○한 (720210-1111111)Ahn ○-han (Resident Registration No. 720210-1111111) 서울시 서초구 ○○동 1111 ○○○○아파트 1111호Unit 1111, ○○○○ Apartment, 1111, ○○-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Inappropriate Sexual Touching

고소장 Criminal Complaint — 1. 고소인 1. Complainant 성명○ ○ ○Name○ ○ ○ 주민등록번호 Resident Registration Number 주소○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○Address○○-○○, ○○-dong, ○○-gu, ○○ City 직업Occupation…

Crypto for Secrets: Supreme Court Confirms Prison Sentence for Exchange CEO Who Tried to Leak Military Secrets to North Korea

South Korea’s Supreme Court finalized a four-year prison sentence and four-year suspension of civil rights for Lee, the head of a digital asset exchange. Lee was…

Praising Kim Jong-il Is Not Automatically a Crime: Why Korea’s Top Court Reversed a National Security Law Conviction

South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld an acquittal for the head of a civic organization promoting inter-Korean sports exchanges, who had been charged under the National Security…

Court Says City Shares Responsibility for E-Scooter Accident at Crosswalk

What happened: A high school student was riding an electric scooter across a crosswalk in Cheongju. The scooter hit a 3 cm road bump caused by…

A Missing Defendant Isn’t Enough: The Supreme Court Says ‘Try Harder’ Before Public Service

Case Background A defendant (A) was charged with fraud and violation of the Telecommunications Business Act. At first instance (2023 Sept), A was sentenced to 2…

Supreme Court: Confession in Court Is Also Inadmissible If Rooted in Illegally Obtained Phone Forensics

Case overview Defendants: A (environmental consulting company CEO) B (local government official) Charges: Bribery giving and receiving Supreme Court decision: Conviction overturned and remanded Case No.:…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Assault Resulting in Bodily Injury

고소장 (Criminal Complaint) — 1. 고소인 (Complainant) 성명 (Name)○ ○ ○ 주민등록번호 (Resident Registration Number)(생략) 주소 (Address)○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○ 직업 (Occupation)(생략) 사무실 주소 (Office Address)(생략)…

[SAMPLE] Criminal Complaint – Criminal Threats

고소장 (Criminal Complaint) — 1. 고소인 (Complainant) 성명 (Name)○ ○ ○ 주민등록번호 (Resident Registration Number)(생략) 주소 (Address)○○시 ○○구 ○○동 ○○○-○○ 직업 (Occupation)(생략) 사무실 주소 (Office Address)(생략)…

Insults Have a Price Tag: Court Orders YouTuber to Pay ₩30 Million for Defaming Former Navy Officer

Summary A South Korean court has ordered a YouTuber to pay ₩30 million (approx. USD 22,000) in damages for defaming Lee Geun, a former Navy officer…

Court Stormed, Sentences Upheld: Appeal Court Confirms Prison Terms for West District Court Riot

At a Glance In January 2025, following news that an arrest warrant had been issued for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a group of his supporters…

Tattoo Law Advocate Found Guilty on Appeal, but Punishment Put on Hold

Who is involved: Kim Do-yoon, head of a local branch of Tattoo Union. A well-known tattoo artist who played a key role in pushing for Korea’s…