A woman in South Korea has finally been declared innocent, more than 60 years after she was punished for defending herself against a man who attacked her.
Back in May 1964, when she was only 18 years old, a young woman named Choi Mal-ja was attacked by a 21-year-old man, known only by his last name, Roh, in the city of Gimhae. During the attack, Roh forced her to the ground, held her so she could not breathe, and pushed his tongue into her mouth. In order to escape, Choi bit down hard and ended up biting off part of his tongue. This act allowed her to free herself.
Instead of protecting Choi, the law at that time treated her like a criminal. Only 17 days after the assault, Roh went to her house with a knife, threatened her father, and then decided to sue her for seriously injuring him. In the end, Choi was sentenced to 10 months in prison for defending herself, while Roh was given only a suspended sentence of six months for breaking in and threatening her family.
For decades, Choi carried the weight of this unfair judgment. She was seen as guilty when in reality she had only acted to save herself. Now, after 61 long years, justice has finally been served. In September 2025, a district court in Busan announced that her actions had been an act of lawful self-defence. The judges explained that biting off part of Roh’s tongue was not excessive, but instead a reasonable way for her to protect her body and her right to say no.
When she heard the decision, Choi, now 79 years old,cried out in joy outside the courthouse:I, Choi Mal-ja, am finally innocent! Supporters gathered around her with signs that said, “Choi Mal-ja did it!” and “Choi Mal-ja succeeded.”
This retrial only happened because Choi refused to give up. Since 2018, she had been asking for her case to be looked at again, inspired by South Korea’s #MeToo movement, which encouraged victims of sexual abuse to speak out. Choi explained that her fight was not only for herself, but also to give strength and hope to other women who had suffered in silence.
In her original trial in 1964, her story was doubted, and even the judge suggested that she should marry her attacker. This showed how society at the time did not properly protect victims of sexual assault. Now, with this retrial, prosecutors have apologized to Choi for the immeasurable pain and suffering she endured because of the justice system’s failure.
Her victory is being described as a historic case in South Korea. It highlights the importance of self-defence rights and shows the progress being made in how sexual violence cases are treated. For many people, Choi’s win is not only about clearing her own name, but also about changing the future for other victims who need fairness and justice.
