Choi Mal-ja’s acquittal highlights historical injustice, women’s rights struggles, and the influence of the #MeToo movement
A South Korean court has cleared 79-year-old Choi Mal-ja, overturning a conviction that stood for more than six decades. Choi was just 19 in 1964 when she was jailed for biting the tongue of a man who allegedly tried to sexually assault her.
What began as an incident in the southern city of Gimhae has since become a symbol of the systemic barriers women faced under South Korea’s patriarchal legal system of the 1960s.
The Incident That Changed Her Life
Court records state that Choi was attacked by a 21-year-old man who pinned her to the ground, forced his tongue into her mouth, and even blocked her nose to prevent her from breathing. In desperation, she bit off 1.5 centimeters of his tongue to break free.
Rather than being treated as a victim, she was charged with grievous bodily harm after her attacker sued her. Choi countersued for attempted rape, trespassing, and intimidation, but her claims were dismissed in a society where women’s testimony carried little weight.
A Controversial Verdict in 1965
The outcome of the trial shocked many. Choi received 10 months in prison and two years of probation—harsher than her aggressor’s punishment of six months in prison and one year of probation. The attempted rape charge against him was dropped entirely.
This imbalance became one of the most disputed rulings in South Korea’s history of sexual violence cases, exposing the wider challenges women faced in seeking justice during that era.
The Long Road to Justice
For decades, Choi lived under the stigma of being labeled a criminal. But the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017 inspired her to seek justice. She filed for a retrial in 2020, though her request was initially rejected by lower courts.
Her persistence eventually reached the Supreme Court, which in 2024 ordered a retrial at the Busan District Court. On Wednesday, judges finally ruled in her favor, declaring her act an example of justifiable self-defense.
Shifting Legal and Social Perspectives
The court emphasized that Choi’s response was an attempt to protect her bodily integrity and sexual autonomy—an interpretation starkly different from the 1965 ruling, which deemed her actions excessive. Judges also pointed to medical records showing her attacker recovered fully, passed military exams, and served in the army, undermining claims of lasting harm.
The decision signals not only a correction of past injustice but also an evolving legal recognition of women’s right to resist sexual assault.
Public Celebration and Personal Vindication
The verdict was met with celebration outside the courthouse, where supporters greeted Choi with flowers and placards declaring: “Choi Mal-ja did it!” Dressed in bright colors, she smiled as activists and allies cheered her victory.
Reflecting on her ordeal at a press conference, she said:
“Sixty-one years ago, in a situation where I could understand nothing, the victim became the perpetrator, and my fate was sealed as a criminal. For those who shared the same fate as mine, I wanted to be a source of hope.”
Looking Ahead
Choi’s lawyers plan to pursue compensation from the state for the damage caused by her wrongful conviction. For women’s rights advocates, the ruling represents not only justice for Choi but also a broader acknowledgment of the failures that silenced survivors for decades.
Her acquittal stands as both a personal triumph and a reminder of the long journey toward gender equality in South Korea’s legal system.
