US Edition
Retrial Opens for South Korean Woman Who Bit Off Attempted Rapist's Tongue
SOUTH KOREA, JUL 23 – Choi Mal-ja seeks acquittal after 61 years following a self-defense conviction in a case reopened due to South Korea's MeToo movement and renewed women's rights activism.
- On July 23, 2025, South Korean court reopened the decades-old case after #MeToo inspiration, while prosecutors asked the court to clear her conviction.
- In May 1964, Choi Mal-ja bit off about 1.5 cm of her attacker’s tongue to escape a sexual assault, and the court ruled her action "exceeded the reasonable bounds of legally permissible self-defence."
- During the Wednesday session in Busan, prosecutors in a rare move asked the court to quash her 1964 guilty verdict before the trial began.
- In a moment captured after the session, Choi Mal-ja raised her fist outside the Busan District Court, and she declared `We won!` to reporters.
- A final ruling is due this September, with a sentencing hearing slated for 2 p.m. on Sept. 10, the Busan District Court told AFP.
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16 Articles
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Hard to believe: A woman was convicted for biting out a piece of her attacker's tongue. Now the case has been reopened.
·Berlin, Germany
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Choi Mal-ja was 19 years old when she was attacked by a 21-year-old man in Gimhae in the south of the country in 1964.
·Montreal, Canada
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Channel News AsiaReposted by 
The Japan Times
The Japan TimesRetrial opens for South Korean woman who bit off attempted rapist's tongue
SEOUL: A South Korean court reopened a decades-old case on Wednesday (Jul 23) after the country's #MeToo movement inspired a woman to challenge her conviction for defending herself against sexual violence 61 years ago. Choi Mal-ja was 19 when she was attacked by a 21-year-old man in the southern town of Gi
·Singapore
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 30%
C 50%
R 20%
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