Application for Convening Investigation Deliberation Committee on Late Prosecutor Kim Hong-yeong's Bereaved Family's Report Against Then Deputy Chief Prosecutor

The representatives of the bereaved family of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who made an extreme choice after suffering verbal abuse and assault from a superior, are holding a press conference on the morning of the 14th at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, ahead of submitting an application for convening the Prosecutors' Investigation Review Committee.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The bereaved family of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who took his own life in May 2016 after suffering verbal abuse and physical assault from his superior, the chief prosecutor, has applied for the convening of the Prosecutors' Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 14th regarding the case in which the chief prosecutor was accused.

Since the accusation was filed in November last year, nearly a year has passed without even an investigation of the accused, and the family’s representatives stated that this move is to urge the prosecution to investigate and to alleviate the burden on the prosecutor in charge of handling the case.

On the morning of the same day, the representatives of Prosecutor Kim’s bereaved family submitted the application for convening the Investigation Deliberation Committee to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Before submitting the application, the representatives told reporters, “Since there has been no significant progress in the investigation after the accuser’s interrogation in March this year, we applied for the Investigation Deliberation Committee to urge a prompt investigation.”

They added, “Although the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s inspection resulted in a dismissal, it has not been criminally prosecuted. It seems that the prosecutor at the Central District Prosecutors' Office currently handling the case feels considerable pressure regarding the decision to indict or not, so we want to hear the opinions of citizens.”

According to related guidelines, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office’s Prosecutors’ Citizen Committee is expected to hold a subcommittee meeting soon to decide whether to refer the case to the Investigation Deliberation Committee.

Prosecutor Kim left a will expressing his work stress and job pressure while working in the Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in May 2016, and took his own life at the age of 33.

Kim Dae-hyun, former chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and 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.

Lower courts pointed out that the main causes of Prosecutor Kim’s extreme choice were the verbal abuse, insulting language, and dehumanizing treatment by former Chief Prosecutor Kim, which caused him to feel personal humiliation.

The Korean Bar Association (President Lee Chan-hee) filed a complaint with the prosecution in November last year against former Chief Prosecutor Kim on charges of assault, coercion, and insult.

The case is currently under investigation by the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Byun Pil-geon).

While the prosecution summoned the Bar Association as the accuser for questioning in March this year, it is known that the accused, former Chief Prosecutor Kim, has not yet been investigated.

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