Gunsan domestic violence survivor's 'murderer' status sparks calls for special pardon

A petition signed by over 9,000 citizens is demanding a special presidential pardon for a woman imprisoned for setting fire to her abusive partner's home, an act that led to his death. The case, which occurred in Gunsan, South Korea, has ignited a public outcry and calls for justice for the survivor.

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I wish for a world where women are not subjected to violence. I wish for an incident like mine never to happen again.

The woman, identified as Kim Eun-ji (a pseudonym, 44), was sentenced to 10 years in prison for arson resulting in death. Her legal team argues that her actions were not murder but a desperate last resort after enduring five years of severe domestic violence. According to her lawyer, Kim had reported the abuse to the police 31 times, yet the violence continued, culminating in an attack where her partner allegedly tried to strangle her and inflicted facial injuries. "The survivor said, 'I wish for a world where women are not subjected to violence. I wish for an incident like mine never to happen again,'" stated her lawyer, Lee Han-seon.

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The survivor said, 'I wish for a world where women are not subjected to violence. I wish for an incident like mine never to happen again.'

Kim's defense emphasizes that she set fire to the house while her partner was asleep, intending to be rescued rather than to kill him. They highlight that her partner had a history of violence, including a prior prison sentence for special assault and injury, and that Kim suffered severe psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, as a result of the abuse. Despite her claims of self-defense or excessive self-defense, the court ruled that setting fire to an occupied house was an active attack, not a passive defense.

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The survivor was left with nothing but to set the house on fire, waiting for someone to come. It was not murder but a last struggle to survive.

The joint committee for the Gunsan domestic violence self-defense case, which organized the petition, has sharply criticized the authorities. They argue that the police failed to take adequate measures to separate Kim from her abuser, even after numerous reports. They also condemn the court for what they perceive as a lenient sentence for the abuser in the past and for not recognizing Kim's actions as justified. "The state, which has been turning a blind eye to countless incidents of domestic violence across the country, is no different from condoning and colluding with the violence," the committee stated in a press release, urging for both Kim's special pardon and systemic legal reforms to address domestic violence.

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The state, which has been turning a blind eye to countless incidents of domestic violence across the country, is no different from condoning and colluding with the violence.