Overview
- An appeals court upheld the rape charge against her assailant but rejected rape causing injury, which leaves no major punishment because the filing deadline has passed.
- South Korean law sets a 10-year limit for rape and 15 years for rape with injury, and the court’s refusal to apply the longer charge ended the chance of a sentence prosecutors once sought at 10 years.
- Kwon Mina said the ruling brings meaningful closure after about four years of litigation and 18 years after she was assaulted at age 14.
- She first disclosed the assault publicly in 2021, and the case was referred to prosecutors that December.
- She thanked investigators, urged other victims to speak up as attitudes change, and said she is preparing a separate lawsuit while focusing on recovery.