Incheon Knife Attack: State Ordered to Pay 350M Won

 

[26.06.20] 'Incheon Noise Complaint Knife Attack' Verdict: Court Orders State and Police to Pay 350 Million Won

The state's liability for compensation due to the police's catastrophic failure to respond to the 2021 'Incheon Noise Complaint Knife Attack'—a case that exposed the vulnerabilities of South Korean law enforcement and sparked nationwide outrage—has finally been recognized by the court after three years. According to legal circles on the 20th, the 1st instance of the damages lawsuit filed by the victim's family against the state ruled that the state and the officers who fled the scene must jointly pay approximately 350 million KRW. While this verdict rings a heavy alarm on the complacency of police authority, we look deeper into the tragedy and the heartbreaking aftermath for the family left with permanent trauma and astronomical debt.

CCTV footage during the 'Incheon Noise Knife Rampage Incident'

📌 Key Summary of the State Compensation Lawsuit (1st Instance)

Category	Major Details	Remarks
The Court	Incheon District Court, Civil Division 13 (Presiding Judge Shin Jong-hwan)	1st Instance Verdict (19th)
Verdict Summary	Partial Victory for Plaintiffs (State Liability Recognized)	Official recognition of gross dereliction of duty
Compensation Amount	The state and negligent officers must jointly pay approx. 350 million KRW	Partially accepted out of the 2 billion KRW claimed
Criminal Penalty	The two responding officers sentenced to 1 year in prison, suspended for 3 years	Conviction finalized for dereliction of duty (separate trial)

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1. The Tragedy Where Police Fled: The Full Story

The horrific incident trace back to November 15, 2021, originating from a dispute over interfloor noise at a multi-family villa in Namdong-gu, Incheon. A man in his 50s living on the fourth floor wielded a weapon against his neighbors, a family including a woman in her 40s (referred to as Victim A) living on the third floor. In this brutal assault, A was severely stabbed in the neck, losing consciousness and subsequently undergoing multiple major brain surgeries. All three family members sustained varying degrees of physical and psychological trauma from the gruesome scene.

However, what infuriated the public the most was not just the perpetrator's brutality, but the shocking behavior of the responding police officers. The two officers dispatched to the scene clearly heard the victim's desperate screams and were fully aware that a violent attack was underway inside the building. Instead of neutralizing the attacker or protecting the victims, they fled the building under the pretext of requesting backup. This cowardly retreat, widely branded as the 'fleeing police incident,' became a symbol of systemic incompetence and led to a fierce nationwide reckoning over the emergency response capabilities and accountability of the entire police force. (The two officers were later criminally prosecuted for dereliction of duty and received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years.)

2. The Court's Severe Judgment: "Gross Dereliction of Duty, the State Must Pay"

Left with profound physical and psychological devastation alongside severe financial distress, A's family filed a lawsuit seeking 2 billion KRW in damages against the state and the individual officers who failed to defend them. Following a prolonged legal battle, on the 19th, Civil Division 13 of the Incheon District Court officially recognized the direct causal relationship between the officers' gross dereliction of duty and the severe damages inflicted upon the victim's family.

The court ordered the state and the officers who abandoned the scene to jointly compensate the family with approximately 350 million KRW. Although the awarded amount is only a fraction of the 2 billion KRW initially sought by the plaintiffs, the verdict carries profound social weight as the judiciary strictly rebuked the manifest negligence and incompetence of public authority, holding the government financially accountable.

3. Legal Team's Stance: "A Stern Warning, But the Compensation is Far from Enough"

Following the ruling, the joint legal team representing the victims—including Attorney Kim Min-ho from LKB & Partners and Attorney Kim Won-yong from Siman Law Firm—issued an official statement expressing both appreciation for the legal precedent and disappointment regarding the compensation scale.

[Summary of the Joint Legal Team's Official Statement]

• Positive Aspect of the Verdict: "We deeply appreciate the court's wise decision to hold the state liable for compensation due to the defendant police officers' gross dereliction of duty. This ruling is profoundly significant as the court has delivered a stern warning to incompetent public authority in a case that thoroughly shattered public trust in law enforcement."
• Plans for Appeal: "However, considering the immense suffering the victim's family continues to endure and the harsh reality they face, the compensation of 350 million KRW granted by the court is undeniably disappointing. We intend to closely examine the written judgment and make a final decision on whether to file an appeal after thorough internal discussions."

4. Tears of a Family Submerged in Debt: "Human Relationships Severed, the Future is Bleak"

While the family technically achieved a 'partial victory' in the courtroom, the reality confronting them in their daily lives remains bleak and overwhelming. In an emotional interview with media outlets including MBN outside the courthouse immediately following the verdict, the victim's family shared a heartbreaking testimony that brought tears to many.

"We are grateful that the court seemed to consider our circumstances as much as possible. However... after clearing the money we frantically borrowed and paying off our debts, there is virtually nothing left. We are at a complete loss as to how we will survive moving forward."

According to the family, Victim A's prolonged intensive care, consecutive brain surgeries, and ongoing rehabilitation and caregiving have left them saddled with an astronomical, uncontrollable mountain of debt. In their desperate race to cover mounting medical expenses, they borrowed heavily from acquaintances and relatives, leading to a devastating state where "all social and personal relationships have been completely severed." Compounding their misery, family members have been unable to maintain regular employment because they must provide around-the-clock care for the victim, leaving the household's economic engine completely paralyzed. The 350 million KRW state compensation awarded by the court is profoundly inadequate to liquidate their massive debts and piece back together a life that has been completely shattered.

📝 Final In-Depth Summary: The court has finally recognized the state's direct liability for compensation (approx. 350 million KRW) regarding the gross dereliction of duty by responding police officers who fled the scene instead of neutralizing a violent attacker during the 2021 Incheon noise complaint knife attack. While the verdict marks a milestone in holding failed public authority legally accountable, the path to healing remains agonizingly long for the victim's family, who are left with lifelong trauma, paralyzed livelihoods, and crushing medical debt.

 

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