The Korean movie Miracle in Cell No.

7 is about an intellectually impaired father Lee

Yong-Gu who was imprisoned and sentenced to death because of allegedly raping and murdering
the daughter of the Police Commissioner. The story started and ended in a mock trial wherein
Lee Ye-Sung Yong-Gus daughter, retrying her fathers case where she was able to convince the
judge that her father was innocent and that what happened was purely an accident.
The movie revolves on the theme which tackles a fathers unconditional love to his
daughter but it also strongly shows a concrete example of injustice and delves more rights of the
accused. Yong-Gu was undoubtedly an innocent man and an intellectually impaired person but
due to the personal interest of the detectives of his case, they tortured and tricked him and took
advantage of his illness for Yong Gu to sign a sworn statement indicating that he molested and
killed the commissioners daughter. Therefore this statement is inadmissible in court in the first
place.
During Yong-Gus time in prison, he made friends with his cellmates and made them to
believe that he was innocent. His cellmates deduced the accident and helped Yong-Gu prepare
for his trial. On the day of Yong-Gus trial, while waiting, he was secretly hit by the police
commissioner and threatened him that if he did not admit the crime, Ye-Sung will have the same
fate with the commissioners daughter. With Yong-Gus great love to his daughter, he sacrificed
himself and admitted the crime he did not commit to keep his daughter safe from the
commissioners daughter. Also, without looking thoroughly through all the evidence and YongGus condition, the judge immediately sentenced the accused to death.
Lee Yong-Gus case was clearly a violation of Section 12 of the Bill of Rights where it
was stated that No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate
the free will shall be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or
similar forms of detention are prohibited. It was also further stated that Any confession
obtained in violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be inadmissible in evidence against him.
Section 1 of the Bill of Rights was also violated where it states that No person shall be
deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor shall any person be denied the
equal protection of law. The detectives of Yong-Gus case were trying to be in the
commissioners favor by not investigating the case properly. They stood their case based on the
forged sworn statement of the accused, neglecting other facts like the main reason of the girls
death and the inconsistency of the statement forwarded by the detectives with the autopsy of the
victims body.
The movie showed how powerful persons can influence people to do unlawful things for
their favor even if it results for an innocent loving father to die and leave his beloved daughter.
Lee Yong-Gus case is an example of the injustice that is happening not only in Korea but also
through the whole world. I hope that these schemes would stop and true justice and equality be
served

State University
College of Business and Accountancy
Virac, Catanduanes

REACTION PAPER
ON
MIRACLE IN CELL
NO. 7

Submitted By:
Marlon T. Poblete
BSA - 5