Subway Line 5 Arsonist Must Pay 220 Million Won ... Seoul Metro Wins Damages Suit

[Financial News] A court has ruled that a man in his 60s who set fire to a train while it was operating on Seoul Subway Line 5 in May last year must pay Seoul Metro more than 220 million won. The court deemed that the defendant had not contested the corporation’s claims, applied the deemed-admission rule and awarded the full amount sought.
According to legal sources on the 13th, Judge Lee Kang-ho of the Seoul Eastern District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff that day in a damages suit filed by Seoul Metro against Won, 68. The case was heard by the court’s Civil Division 5, sitting as a single judge.
Applying the deemed-admission rule, the court awarded the full 220,536,185 won in damages sought by the corporation. Under the rule, in a civil lawsuit, facts asserted by one party are treated as admitted if the other party does not clearly contest them.
The corporation initially sought about 184 million won in damages, but increased its claim by about 36 million won during the lawsuit.
Won was indicted on charges of pouring gasoline and setting fire inside a train traveling from Yeouinaru Station toward Mapo Station on Seoul Subway Line 5 at around 8:42 a.m. on May 31 last year.
Won is accused of attempting to kill 160 passengers, including himself, and injuring six in the process. The fire caused 23 people, including Won, to inhale smoke; they were taken to hospital, while 129 people received first aid at the scene. The fire also reportedly caused property damage of at least 300 million won, including partial destruction of one train car.
To recover costs for repairing the damage caused by the incident and other expenses, Seoul Metro sought a provisional attachment of assets worth about 184 million won against Won and filed a damages suit at the end of June last year.
Meanwhile, Won was indicted on charges including attempted murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, the same sentence as at trial, in an appellate ruling last January. The case is now awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court of Korea.
[email protected] Lee Dong-hyeok Reporter