Korean Bar Association Appeals Non-Prosecution Decision on Coercion and Insult by Late Prosecutor Kim Hong-Young's Accused Prosecutor

Lee Chan-hee, President of the Korean Bar Association. / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Korean Bar Association (President Lee Chan-hee) has filed an appeal against the prosecution's decision not to indict former Chief Prosecutor Kim Dae-hyun on charges of coercion and insult, which led to the extreme choice of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young.

On the 30th, the Bar Association stated, "On the 25th, we appealed the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's decision not to indict former Chief Prosecutor Kim Dae-hyun on charges of coercion and insult," adding, "We object to the prosecution's decision to indict without detention only on assault charges, dismiss coercion charges due to insufficient evidence, and dismiss insult charges due to lack of prosecutorial rights."

President Lee Chan-hee said, "We hope this indictment decision will become a new milestone in eradicating workplace harassment in our society, as the bereaved families wish," and added, "We will continue to actively assist in ensuring that justice is upheld in our society and that judicial institutions conduct strict and fair investigations and trials."

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted former Chief Prosecutor Kim on assault charges without detention last month but dismissed insult and coercion charges with decisions of 'lack of prosecutorial rights' and 'no charges,' respectively.

The prosecution applied assault charges for the acts committed by former Chief Prosecutor Kim against Prosecutor Kim, who was in the same department, from March 31 to May 11, 2016, where he struck him between one to six times on four occasions, including at company dinners and in taxis after the dinners.

However, the prosecution judged that it was legally difficult to establish coercion charges regarding the incident in February 2016 at a restaurant during a fellow prosecutor's wedding, where former Chief Prosecutor Kim reprimanded, "Find a room where prosecutors can eat."

Regarding the insult charges for allegedly making insulting remarks five times from February to May of the same year, the prosecution decided 'lack of prosecutorial rights' because the complaint was not filed by a proper complainant and the complaint period had expired, failing to meet the requirements for prosecution.

Prosecutor Kim, who worked in the criminal division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, left a suicide note expressing work stress and job pressure and made an extreme choice at the age of 33 in May 2016.

Former Chief Prosecutor Kim, who was Prosecutor Kim's superior, was dismissed at the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee held in August 2016. He filed a lawsuit to cancel the dismissal but was finally defeated by the Supreme Court in March last year.