A verbal dispute arose between the parties involved in the lawsuit outside the courtroom over 'secondary harm' during the hearing for the injunction to ban the screening of the documentary film 'First Defense,' which deals with the death of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
The Civil Division 51 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Woo-hyun) held a closed hearing on the 28th regarding the injunction request to ban the screening of the documentary 'First Defense,' filed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the sexual crime victims against 'People Who Believe in Park Won-soon,' who funded the production of the documentary.
After the hearing, Kim Jae-ryeon, the legal representative of the victims, told the press outside the courtroom, "Denying the conclusions reached after long investigations by several state agencies cannot be protected under the name of 'freedom of expression.'"
Since the sexual crime case involving Mayor Park, covered in this documentary, was confirmed as factual by the court and the National Human Rights Commission, they argued that forcing the screening could cause irreparable harm to the victims.
In response, director Kim Dae-hyun, who made the film, countered that broad freedom of expression must be recognized.
Director Kim said after the hearing, "The film does not deal with guilt or innocence but includes various views of the creator, including facts," adding, "To call the act of making a film itself secondary harm is extremely barbaric and an abuse that cannot exist in a democratic society."
The court decided to receive the video from Director Kim, review its content, and hold another hearing on the 5th of next month to hear further arguments from both sides.
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