South Korean footballer Ki Sung Yueng, 36, currently playing for Pohang Steelers, has partially won a damages lawsuit against two former elementary school juniors who accused him of sexual assault.
On July 9, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 14, presided over by Judge Jeong Ha Jung, ruled in favor of Ki in part, ordering the two defendants, identified as A and B, to jointly pay 100 million Korean KRW (approximately $73,000) in compensation.
Ki had originally filed a 500 million KRW(approximately $384,615) lawsuit, claiming defamation and emotional distress as a result of the allegations.
The case began in February 2021 when A and B alleged that they were sexually assaulted by senior players, including Ki, while playing on the same elementary school football team in Jeonnam between January and June 2000.
Although they did not mention Ki’s name directly, the details revealed in their statement led the public to identify him as the alleged perpetrator. Ki denied all allegations, asserting his innocence, and responded by filing both a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit for damages.
The first hearing for the civil case took place in March 2022 but was suspended until the outcome of the related criminal investigation. Court proceedings resumed in January 2024.
In August 2023, the Seocho Police Station in Seoul concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the accusations. As a result, A and B were cleared of criminal charges. The police also stated that there was not enough evidence to confirm that Ki had engaged in any sexual misconduct.
Despite the lack of criminal charges, the civil court found that the public accusations had significantly damaged Ki’s reputation and awarded partial damages accordingly.
Ki Sung Yueng, a former captain of the South Korean national football team, has had an extensive professional career, including stints in the Premier League and K League.
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