Former Mokpo City Council Member Kim Hoon Cleared of Sexual Harassment Charges Against Female Councilor

Former Assemblyman Kim Hoon of Mokpo City (Photo by Kim Hoon)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] Former Mokpo City Council member Kim Hoon, who lost his council seat after being expelled on charges of sexually harassing a fellow female council member, was cleared of charges by the prosecution on the 20th.

According to the non-prosecution disposition received by former council member Kim Hoon from the prosecution on the 21st, the charges of forcible molestation and some insults were dismissed due to insufficient evidence, and some insults were stated to be beyond the statute of limitations.

Former council member Kim Hoon’s clearance follows the investigation by the prosecution into the sexual harassment complaint filed by council member Kim Soo-mi at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office Mokpo Branch on July 31 of last year.

At that time, after Kim Soo-mi filed a sexual harassment complaint, former council member Kim Hoon faced allegations of sexually harassing a fellow council member at the Mokpo City Council, leading to a secret ballot vote on his expulsion, which resulted in 15 votes in favor, 2 against, and 4 abstentions, causing him to lose his council seat.

Before the council’s expulsion decision, former council member Kim Hoon held a press conference and made a personal statement at a special session, asserting the unfairness of the disciplinary vote and appealing his innocence.

After receiving the prosecution’s clearance, former council member Kim Hoon expressed, “I am relieved that my innocence has been revealed in some way,” and added, “I will always strive to approach the citizens with sincerity and truth.”

Former council member Kim Hoon stated that the provisional injunction to suspend the expulsion last October was decided considering the sexual harassment allegations, and now that the prosecution has cleared him, he plans to file a lawsuit again.

Attention is now focused on whether the prosecution’s clearance of former council member Kim Hoon will lead to the reversal of the Mokpo City Council’s expulsion decision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.