Gangneung: The family of a boy who was killed in a car accident allegedly caused by a sudden unintended acceleration lost their civil suit against the automaker Tuesday. The Gangneung branch of the Chuncheon District Court rejected the family's request for 920 million won (US$647,000) in damages from KG Mobility over the death of 12-year-old Lee Do-hyeon in December 2022.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the court stated, "The likelihood is high that the driver stepped on the accelerator after mistaking it for the brake, making it difficult to recognize that the accident was caused by a defect in the electronic control unit," addressing one of the plaintiff's arguments. The accident occurred in Gangneung, approximately 170 kilometers east of Seoul, when the SUV driven by Lee's grandmother allegedly spun out of control due to sudden unintended acceleration.
Lee's father, Lee Sang-hun, expressed his intent to immediately appeal the ruling, asserting that the decision favored the manufacturer's reasoning over the truth.