Kim Yong-min "Jin Joong-kwon, willing to withdraw accusation if sincerely apologizes"

"Must Clarify on What Grounds You Use Insulting Language Against Me"
Targeting Former Lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, "When Were You Ever Part of the Progressive Camp?" Retort

Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Court and the Sentencing Commission on the 7th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yongmin, who filed a defamation lawsuit against former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon, stated, "If he sincerely apologizes, I am willing to withdraw the lawsuit." Additionally, Kim countered former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, who criticized him with the implication of "Do you still consider yourself progressive?" by asking, "When was Geum ever part of the progressive camp?"

On the 7th, Kim wrote on his Facebook, "Geum suddenly jumped into the fray, but his story is hard to accept," adding, "Jin Joong-kwon is someone with a very powerful voice, and if he used insulting language without reasonable grounds, he must naturally take responsibility."

He continued, "I am raising this issue because words are being used as weapons to hurt others," emphasizing, "Jin Joong-kwon must clarify on what grounds he uses insulting language against me."

Kim added, "As a lawyer, I have fought a lot for freedom of expression, so I am trying to resolve this matter through a civil lawsuit rather than filing a criminal complaint for insult."

Regarding the lawsuit, Kim also responded to former lawmaker Geum, who criticized him, saying, "I am not sure since when Geum was part of the progressive camp," and "It sounds awkward to mention progressivism."

He further pointed out, "It sounds as if the prosecution is setting the justice of the Republic of Korea straight."

Jin Joong-kwon, former professor at Dongyang University / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, on the same morning, former professor Jin publicly revealed on Facebook that he had been sued by Kim. He sarcastically said, "After reading the complaint, it’s absurd. This person (Kim) says he is frustrated and resentful because he was called 'Jo Guk’s lackey' and now cannot carry out his legislative activities."

Earlier, on June 21, Kim had mentioned on a YouTube broadcast that he thought Yoon Seok-yeol would become "the worst prosecutor general in the history of the prosecution."

In response, Jin strongly criticized Kim at the time, saying, "A rookie lawmaker whose blood hasn’t even dried on his head dares to outright deny the president’s appointments," and "No wonder he’s called Jo Guk’s lackey. The worst lawmaker in history."

Meanwhile, on the 7th, former lawmaker Geum wrote on Facebook, "I really don’t know what to say," and questioned, "Does he still think of himself as progressive?"

He explained, "During the conservative regime, many people fought hard to protect freedom of expression," adding, "Although some criticisms were factually incorrect in detail, our argument was that banning or punishing such criticism would make healthy criticism and satire of public officials impossible."

He lamented, "After impeachment and regime change, now a Democratic Party lawmaker is filing a civil lawsuit for defamation damages," and "He is even a lawmaker from Minbyun who was at the forefront of defending freedom of expression."

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