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The YouTube channel 'Workman,' which operates on the concept of daily job experiences, has brought renewed attention to a Korean-American laundry 'pants lawsuit' incident from about 20 years ago in the United States. This came up when the owner of a Korean laundry in Los Angeles mentioned the case while talking about 'difficult customers.' In fact, at the time, a U.S. judge filed a lawsuit worth $54 million (approximately 50 billion KRW at the exchange rate then) against a Korean laundry for allegedly losing a pair of $800 pants.

The laundry owner offered to pay the cost of the pants along with a reasonable compensation, but the judge refused and filed a lawsuit demanding more than 50,000 times the price of the pants. This case attracted international attention as it was seen as a judge, skilled in law, recklessly filing an absurd lawsuit against a 'weaker party.' Ultimately, the judge lost the case and later failed to be appointed as a judge, suffering international embarrassment.

The YouTube channel "Workman," which operates on the concept of daily job experiences, has brought renewed attention to the "Pants Lawsuit" incident at a Korean American laundromat in the United States about 20 years ago. This came up when discussing "difficult customers," and the owner of a laundromat in Los Angeles mentioned the incident.
[Photo by YouTube 'Workman']

In the Workman episode released on the 12th, broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu visited a Korean laundry in Los Angeles for a one-day part-time job. The laundry was run by Brian Min, who immigrated from Korea to the U.S. about 30 years ago. While learning the laundry work, Jang asked Min about 'difficult customers.' Min then explained the 'pants lawsuit' from 20 years ago.

Min said, "A Black customer brought a pair of pants to a laundry to be repaired. The pants disappeared on the promised date, and coincidentally, the customer was a judge." He added, "At the time, the pants were worth about $1,000, and the laundry owner offered to pay $1,500, but the judge flatly refused." He explained that the judge later filed a huge lawsuit against the laundry owner.

Public criticism arose, calling the lawsuit itself a comedy

[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

The incident Min mentioned actually occurred in 2005. At that time, Judge Roy Pearson of the Washington D.C. Administrative Court filed a lawsuit against a laundry run by Korean-American Jung Jin-nam (62), claiming the laundry lost the pants he was supposed to wear on his appointment day. Jung offered $1,500 including compensation, but Judge Pearson rejected it.

Moreover, Pearson rejected all compensation offers and filed a $67 million lawsuit against the laundry, alleging violations of consumer protection laws, including failure to honor a 'satisfaction guaranteed' sign posted in the store. Pearson claimed, "I couldn't wear the suit I liked on my first day at work," and "I suffered mental distress and inconvenience due to the laundry losing my pants."

The compensation included $2 million for mental distress and $15,000 for renting a car every weekend to use another laundry. Pearson maintained this stance through appeals, lowering the demanded compensation to $54 million and continuing the lawsuit.

This case attracted international attention, including in Korea, because a judge filed an astronomical lawsuit against an ordinary person over a lost pair of pants. Among many Americans and legal professionals, there was significant criticism of Judge Pearson. The largest U.S. bar association called it "a shameful abuse of the country's civil justice system."

The Legal Policy Alliance criticized it as "the lawsuit itself is a comedy." Although Jung won the case, it is reported that he later quit the laundry business due to stress caused by the lawsuit. Hearing this story, Jang Sung-kyu expressed anger, saying, "That's despicable." He added, "Judges are supposed to be highly respected, so what's the point if they are not decent people?" Min also agreed, saying, "I don't understand why he did such a thing."

Meanwhile, after the lawsuit, Judge Pearson not only failed to be appointed as a judge but also had his attorney license suspended for a while. It is known that he pursued the lawsuit to resolve financial difficulties arising from alimony issues following his divorce.