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Government withdraws appeal in women's forced-detention abuse case

Published: 23 Dec. 2025, 18:48

A new plaque for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is installed at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 30. [YONHAP]

The government has withdrawn an appeal against a court ruling in a damages suit against the state brought by victims who were forcibly detained decades ago at women's detention facilities, the Gender Ministry said on Tuesday.

The case revolves around state facilities — designed to prevent prostitution — that forcibly detained women without legal justification, exposed them to violence and failed to provide them with basic necessities.

In May, the Seoul Central District Court partially ruled in favor of a group of victims detained at such facilities, ordering up to 240 million won ($161,800) in damages, which prompted the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to file an appeal.

The ruling came after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission found in January 2024 that 11 women had suffered human rights violations after being forcibly detained at the facilities in the 1970s and 1980s.

The ministry said it decided to withdraw the appeal, considering the victims' suffering and another abuse case involving a children's facility, also against which the government dropped an appeal.

With the move, the victims will now be able to receive damages confirmed by the ruling.

“By withdrawing the appeal, [we] hope that the victims' [...] suffering will be healed, and that they will live the rest of their lives peacefully and with dignity,” Gender Minister Won Min-kyong said in a statement.

The women-only facilities were established after the country enacted a law banning prostitution in 1961. As of 1971, there were 34 such facilities and 2,717 people detained.

All of the facilities were shut down by 1988, and the law was scrapped in 2004.

Yonhap