Who is Chief Judge Hong Sun-wook, in charge of the hearing on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's case?

Chief Judge Hong Sun-wook. / Photo by Beopryul Newspaper

[Asia Economy Reporters Seokjin Choi and Juni Park] Chief Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol’s appeal against the “2-month suspension” disciplinary action and the hearing of the injunction case scheduled for the 18th will be presided over by Chief Judge Hong Soon-wook. Born in Seoul, Hong graduated from Jangchung High School and Korea University’s Department of Law, and passed the 38th Judicial Examination in 1996.

After completing the 28th Judicial Research and Training Institute, he served as a naval legal officer and then worked as a judge at ▲ Chuncheon District Court ▲ Suwon District Court ▲ Suwon District Court Yeoju Branch ▲ Seoul Southern District Court ▲ Seoul Central District Court ▲ Seoul High Court.

He later served as chief judge at ▲ Ulsan District Court and ▲ Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch, and has been working at the Seoul Administrative Court since February 2018.

In 2013, Chief Judge Hong was selected as an outstanding judge by the Seoul Bar Association.

In October, Chief Judge Hong ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by standing members of the “4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Committee” against the government, citing unpaid wages and obstruction of investigation.

Also in the same month, he dismissed the injunction request against the prohibition order of the Hangul Day rally filed by the Liberty Democracy Union against the chief of Seoul Namdaemun Police Station and others.

The day before, Chief Prosecutor Yoon filed a cancellation lawsuit requesting the annulment of the “2-month suspension” disciplinary action and an injunction to suspend the effect of the suspension through electronic litigation at the Seoul Administrative Court.

Since cancellation lawsuits can take years until the judgment is finalized, and the first trial verdict may take several months, it is unlikely that a conclusion will be reached within the 2-month suspension period.

Ultimately, the court’s injunction decision, which is based not on the substantive judgment of whether Minister Chu’s disciplinary request against Chief Prosecutor Yoon was lawful, but on the “irreparable damage caused to Chief Prosecutor Yoon by the suspension” and the “urgent necessity to prevent it,” is a very important matter.