Landmark ruling: South Korean court recognises misogyny as motive in brutal attack on short-haired female clerk that left her permanently hearing impaired

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — An appellate court in South Korea has made a landmark ruling, recognising misogyny as a motive behind a brutal assault on a female convenience store clerk in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.

The Changwon District Court’s decision marks the first time a Korean court has explicitly acknowledged misogyny as a condemnable factor in a criminal case, according to The Korea Herald.

The court upheld the lower court’s decision to sentence the attacker to three years in prison for aggravated assault, destruction of property, and obstruction of business.

The assault, which took place in November 2023, was allegedly motivated by the clerk’s short haircut, with the defendant accusing her of being a “feminist.”

During the attack, he reportedly said, “Feminists should be beaten up,” according to the appellate court’s ruling, The Korea Herald reported.

The female victim suffered serious injuries, including permanent hearing impairment, while another man in his 50s, who intervened, was also injured. The male victim has since quit his job due to trauma.

“The defendant’s actions were rooted in baseless hatred and bias against women,” the court stated.

Judges further noted that the attacker questioned the male bystander, asking why he wasn’t siding with a “fellow man,” reinforcing the misogynistic nature of the assault, as cited by the news report.

Despite recognising the misogynistic hate crime, the court denied the prosecution’s request to extend the sentence to five years, citing a lack of evidence to prove the defendant was not in an unstable mental state at the time of the attack.

The ruling left women’s advocacy groups both relieved and disappointed.

Kang Kyung-min, president of the Jinju Sexual Violence Counseling Center, praised the court for acknowledging misogyny but expressed concerns over the reduction in sentencing due to the defendant’s mental health.

“It raises questions about why mental health issues should reduce the punishment severity for such egregious acts,” she said, as quoted by The Korea Herald.

Women’s rights advocates have hailed the ruling as a significant step forward in recognising gender-based violence, but they are calling for more stringent measures to address such hate crimes.