Choi Bomin has won a damages lawsuit for a devastating facial fracture sustained at a golf practice range.
The former Golden Child member’s lengthy recovery kept him sidelined from the entertainment industry. However, a recent court ruling has brought closure – and a significant payout.
In September 2022, Bomin suffered facial injuries, including a zygomaticomaxillary fracture, when another golfer accidentally struck him with a golf club at a Goyang-si practice range. The adjacent booths were just 2.5m apart, raising safety concerns.
Consequently, Choi was forced to halt his activities due to the severity of his injuries
On October 15, Judge Yoon So Hee of the Seoul Western District Court’s 8th Civil Division ruled in favor of Choi Bomin in a damages lawsuit (case number 2023ga-dan256327).
He filed the lawsuit against the golfer who swung the club and the golf practice range operator. The court ruled that the golf range operator must pay Choi approximately 12 million won in damages, with approximately 10.6 million won to be jointly paid with the golfer.
In the ruling, Judge Yoon noted that Bomin shared some responsibility for the accident. While holding the golf practice range operator liable for the majority of the damages, the court determined that Choi’s own negligence contributed to the incident.
Specifically, the court found that he failed to exercise sufficient caution, such as monitoring the golfer in the adjacent booth, despite being aware of the potential risk. As a result, Judge Yoon limited the golfer’s responsibility to 30% of the damages.
Judge Yoon awarded him compensation for medical expenses, totaling around 2 million won, and an additional 10 million won for emotional distress. However, his claim of losing out on 35 million won due to missed contracts and lost work opportunities during recovery was denied due to lack of evidence.