A South Korean court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by inmates seeking damages over alleged overcrowding in correctional facilities, ruling there was insufficient evidence to support their claims. The Incheon District Court rejected a 39.5 million won ($25,700) damages claim brought by 24 inmates against the government. The plaintiffs argued that they suffered psychological distress after being housed in overcrowded cells that failed to provide the minimum living space necessary for basic daily life.In its ruling, the court said that when the floor area allocated to each inmate, based on official floor plans, is less than 2 square meters, conditions may exceed what is legally tolerable and constitute unlawful infringement.However, the court found that the evidence presented — including information obtained from prison wardens through court-ordered fact-finding inquiries — was insufficient to establish that the plaintiffs had been held in conditions exceeding that legal threshold.The court dismissed the lawsuit and ordered the plaintiffs to bear the legal costs.This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by The Korea Herald staff. -- Ed.
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