Statutory period for suits may be extended

The statutory period for seeking compensatory damages will be extended to 20 years from the current 10 years under a revised civil code the Ministry of Justice plans to submit for parliamentary approval next year, ministry officials said yesterday.

The revisions propose that a victim of an illegal act be allowed to file a damages lawsuit up to five years after he or she learns of the damage incurred and the identity of the perpetrator. They also would enable the victim to file suit within 20 years from when the damage begins to take effect, officials said.

The current statutory period is three and 10 years, respectively.

The revisions, to be submitted to the National Assembly within the first half of next year, will help victims seeking compensation for injuries from environmental pollution or industrial accidents, the symptoms of which may appear long after the incident, the officials said.

They also freezed the statutory period for child victims of sexual abuse until they become adults, allowing them to file a suit against offenders when they reach legal age, officials said.

Yonhap