The New York Times is reporting on a movement in South Korea to permit punitive damages in civil cases, as a response to scandals involving product safety.  According to the article, a former president of the Seoul Bar Association rounded up a thousand signatures from lawyers on a letter stating that punitive damages are needed to balance a legal system that is geared too much towards protecting businesses.  The article does not mention whether the supporters have identified any data showing that products are safer in countries that permit punitive damages.