Korean Man Who Inspired “Miracle In Cell No. 7” Was Tortured Into Making A Confession

The most recent episode of SBS‘s The Story of the Day, Biting the Tail Season 2 featured a heartbreaking story about the man who inspired Miracle in Cell No. 7.

Jeong Won Seop, who was 38-years-old at the time of his arrest, served a 15-year prison sentence for a murder he did not commit. He was wrongfully accused of sexually assaulting and strangling a 9-year-old girl back in 1972. While he did not commit the act, he was tortured into confessing to the crime due to the high status of the case. The 9-year-old was the daughter of a high ranking police officer and the pressure to catch the culprit became a priority for the police department.

On The Story of the Day, Biting the Tail Season 2, the panel discussed the exact torturing methods that were used to get Jeong Won Seop to confess to a crime he did not commit. It was revealed on the show that the innocent man was tortured with a waterboard method that was executed by the police officers.

Waterboarding is a form of torture that mimics the sensation of drowning by covering a person’s face with a cloth and pouring water onto their face while they are upside down.

According to the variety program, Jeong Won Seop was waterboarded with water that was infused with red pepper flakes, creating an even more torturous situation. After enduring this torture for an unknown period of time, Jeong Won Seop eventually confessed to the murder and began his life imprisonment sentence. He was released 15-years later on parole and was fully acquitted from his crime 36-years later.

Jeong Won Seop’s heartbreaking case is the inspiration behind the film Miracle in Cell No. 7, which became widely loved worldwide. Numerous remakes of the film were made all across the globe.

Sadly, Jeong Won Seop has since passed away at the age of 89-years-old. May he rest in peace.