Tears in Court from Late Kim Hong-Young's Family... "Our Son with Many Dreams Has Fallen"

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The family of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who took his own life after suffering verbal abuse and physical assault from a superior, pleaded in court, "Please do not let our son's sacrifice be in vain."

On the 16th, at the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 20 (Presiding Judge Kim Hyung-seok), Kim's mother, Ms. Lee, who attended the state compensation lawsuit trial, said, "The state destroyed the son we raised so well," adding, "It is heartbreaking and resentful that my son, who had many dreams, was brutally broken down after only 15 months of working as a prosecutor."

Ms. Lee stated, "There needs to be a change in the organizational culture of the prosecution and our society, and I believe there should be appropriate financial compensation for the state's responsibility," and requested, "I ask the court to carefully review the various records and evidence."

The court accepted the request from Kim's family and summoned lawyer Kim Jin-mo and Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Chief Jo Sang-chul as witnesses. When Prosecutor Kim was working at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, lawyer Kim Jin-mo was the head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and Chief Jo Sang-chul was the first deputy chief of the same office.

Previously, in May 2016, Prosecutor Kim was found dead at his home after leaving a note expressing the burden and pressure from work. The investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division revealed that Kim's direct superior, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Dae-hyun, habitually subjected him to verbal abuse and physical assault.

In response, the Ministry of Justice dismissed former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim in August of the same year. Kim filed a lawsuit in opposition to the dismissal but was finally defeated by the Supreme Court last year.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held a Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee to examine the appropriateness of the investigation and prosecution of former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim, which is currently underway following a complaint by the Korean Bar Association.