Seoul court: insurer owes 63 million won to woman bitten feeding dog a treat by mouth
In short
A Seoul Central District Court judge ordered a dog owner's insurer to pay 63,213,111 won plus delay damages to a woman in her 20s who was bitten on the face while trying to feed the dog a treat held in her mouth. The woman had sought 100 million won; the judge found the owner liable but limited that liability to 50% because the woman's behaviour appeared to have provoked the dog.
Read the full story 2 min read
A Seoul court has ordered the insurer of a dog owner to pay 63,213,111 won, plus delay damages, to a woman in her 20s whose face was bitten when she tried to feed the dog a treat held in her mouth, according to legal circles cited by the outlets. Judge Kim Yun-jin (김윤진) of the Seoul Central District Court ruled partly in favour of the woman in August in her lawsuit seeking 100 million won in insurance money from the owner's insurer. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The incident took place in July 2023 at a cafe in Seoul's Jongno district where the woman, then 27, worked. A male Jindo mixed-breed dog had come to the cafe with its owner. She first gave it treats by hand, then held a treat in her mouth and pushed her face toward the dog, which bit her around the lips. The owner had the dog on a leash and was holding it but did not stop her from bringing her face close. The dog had bitten a neighbour on the buttocks about three months earlier. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The bite left a scar on her left upper lip and a wound on the bridge of her nose. Muscle damage and skin loss around her mouth changed the length of her lips and left them asymmetrical. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Judge Kim found the owner liable for failing to take appropriate measures against the possibility of a sudden attack. "Even if a dog is usually docile, there is a risk that it will suddenly show aggression," the judge said, adding that the owner should have held the leash short to keep the dog at a distance from the woman or warned her that bringing her face close was dangerous. Citing the earlier bite, the judge said it was hard to conclude the dog had no aggressive tendency at all. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
The judge noted that the woman had signed a contract with a multi-channel network (MCN) company and appeared in TikTok content. The scar on her left upper lip is "very distinct" and in a spot where people's eyes focus when facing others, and is significant enough to affect keeping a job, job seeking and personal relationships, the judge said. The court set her permanent loss of working capacity at 12%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
The judge also found the woman partly at fault, saying that holding a treat in one's mouth and pushing one's face forward is hard to regard as an ordinary way of feeding a pet dog and appears to have provoked the dog. Taking into account that the owner had the dog leashed and pulled the leash right after the bite to prevent further harm, the court limited the owner's liability to 50%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The judge held the owner liable even though the dog was on a leash, saying owners should guard against a sudden attack, while halving that liability because of the woman's own conduct. The award reflected a 12% permanent loss of working capacity that the judge linked to the scar's effect on her work, including TikTok content.
Key facts
- Judge Kim Yun-jin (김윤진) of the Seoul Central District Court ruled partly in favour of the plaintiff in August. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The owner's insurer was ordered to pay 63,213,111 won plus delay damages, against a claim of 100 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The bite happened in July 2023 at a cafe in Seoul's Jongno district where the woman, then 27, worked. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- She was bitten around the lips after holding a treat in her mouth and pushing her face toward a male Jindo mixed-breed dog. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The dog had bitten a neighbour on the buttocks about three months before the incident. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The judge set her permanent loss of working capacity at 12%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The owner's liability was limited to 50%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The insurer of the dog's owner was ordered to pay 63,213,111 won plus delay damages to the woman. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The woman had filed a lawsuit seeking 100 million won in insurance money. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The owner was holding the leashed dog but did not stop the woman from bringing her face close. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The woman was left with a scar on her left upper lip and a wound on the bridge of her nose. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The judge recognised a 12% permanent loss of working capacity and limited the owner's liability to 50%. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- The identity of the insurance company. The documents do not name the insurer.
- Whether either side will appeal the ruling. None of the documents mention an appeal.