Women's groups protest to have the court acknowledge a woman's killing of an abusive boyfriend as an act of self-defense, in a rally held in front of the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Women's groups protest to have the court acknowledge a woman's killing of an abusive boyfriend as an act of self-defense, in a rally held in front of the Jeonju District Court in Jeonju on Thursday. (Yonhap)

A coalition of 34 women's rights groups across South Korea is pushing for a self-defense ruling for a woman, who received a 12-year prison term last year for killing her abusive boyfriend.

The groups held a press conference and a protest in front of Jeonju District Court last Thursday, claiming that the woman acted in self-defense by setting a building on fire and killing the victim. The 43-year-old woman was found guilty of arson resulting in death, stipulated by Article 164-2 of the Criminal Act and punishable by at least seven years to a lifetime in prison.

"Dating violence only ends when the victim dies or the perpetrator is killed ... What sense does it make for a survivor of horrible dating violence to be sentenced to 12 years in jail?" the women's groups said in a press conference.

The defendant set fire to a residential building in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, at around 3 a.m. on May 11, and watched as the building burned. When asked why she did not report the fire to the authorities, she said "Because that fire should not have been extinguished. If the flames went out, I would have died."

It was found that she had been subjected to repeated violence from the boyfriend during their five-year relationship.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com