For a country so preoccupied by what the ‘outside’ world thinks of it, it really boggles the mind that court rulings like this are even made. I can’t even begin to tell you how angry I am right now. Despite Korea’s shining infrastructure, high speed internet connections, and top of the line handphones, it’s tragic stories like these that people remember forever.

New ‘stuff’ comes out all the time, but deplorable acts like this happen, thankfully, only once in a while. And when brutal and barbaric acts like this do happen, and the court system does nothing, that’s what people passionately talk about when sending email updates and speak with folks back home. I know I sure will, and I hope all of you do too. This story deserves more press, and the judge who made the ruling should be fired for dereliction of duty.

The court actually entertained the idea that the rapists would take care of the girl in the future? The court took the age and illness of the accused into consideration? How about taking the age and illness of the victim into consideration? A foreign friend of mine who has been in Korea as long as I have said “why am I not surprised” and my Korean fiance said “useless judicial system”. The judicial system is broken, and this is a textbook definition of how broken it is.

A few months ago, an article in The Korea Herald reported that the number of disturbances occurring in Korean courtrooms are on the rise. Apparently, trials are often delayed due to defendants swearing, screaming, and even throwing objects at the judge.

In a civil case in July 2006, two defendants threw eggs and a bag of feces at the judicial seats in the Chuncheon District Court, criticizing the judgment.

I can’t think of a better way to let a judge know that you are pissed with his/her judgment than to throw a bag of shit and some eggs in their direction. It really is amazing how immature and absurd some people can be. What’s really upsetting is that these types of incidents are increasing…and not decreasing. You’d think a nation moving toward “advanced” status would see these types of actions go down.

So why are incidents like this on the rise? Well…

“The public’s respect for the legal order is rapidly diminishing,” said Jang Nak-won, a judge of the Incheon District Court. “The court may have to come up with countermeasures such as reinforcing the court guard crew, but the key to solving the problem is the public acknowledgment of the court authority.”

Yes. Judge Jang makes a good point…but why, in the first place, has the publics respect for the legal order diminished and why doesn’t society respect the authority of the court…hmmmm I think the following may have a whole lot to do with it.

The Justice Ministry said it would pardon the heads of Hyundai Motor as well as the SK Group and Hanwha conglomerates, who were convicted of crimes such as fraud, embezzlement and assault. . . . The pardon also covered 10,400 convicted felons, including 12 politicians, erased punitive actions taken against 328,000 bureaucrats and restored the eligibility of 500 fishermen to apply for sailing licenses. (Link)

Perhaps if Korean society-at-large saw that the rich and powerful were treated at least a little bit more like the rest of society is treated by the courts, they would not be so quick to throw shit at the system. And perhaps it might be a good idea to throw rapists, wife beaters, and people who burn shit down into jail as well.

If rapists, wife beaters, people who burn shit down, and corrupt corporate asshats don’t go to jail for the serious crimes they commit, why should anyone go to jail?

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