Choo Mi-ae Mourns Late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young... "Remembering So Death Is Not in Vain" (Comprehensive)

Prosecutor Kim Visits Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office with Parents
Bereaved Family: "The Burden on Our Hearts Has Been Lifted"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and the parents of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young are meeting and talking on the morning of the 8th at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Yangcheon-gu.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae visited the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, where the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who suffered from verbal abuse by his superior and ultimately took his own life, had worked.

At around 10:45 a.m. on the 8th, Minister Choo appeared at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office building and, together with Prosecutor Kim's parents, visited the memorial monument and the commemorative tree planted in front of the building. The memorial monument next to the yew tree planted in memory of Prosecutor Kim bears the inscription, "We will remember so that your sacrifice is not in vain." Minister Choo observed a moment of silence at the site. She then hung a memorial plaque on the first floor of the building with Kim's parents and visited the third-floor office where Kim had worked to console the family and promise measures to prevent recurrence.

At the memorial event, Minister Choo comforted the bereaved family, saying, "We will remember Prosecutor Kim's death so that it is not in vain," and added, "I believe Prosecutor Kim will think from heaven, 'My parents and the Ministry of Justice and prosecution understand my intention to urge change in our society.'" According to the Ministry of Justice, Kim's parents expressed their gratitude, saying, "We never expected the planting of a memorial tree or the inscription on the memorial plaque. We are thankful for these efforts," and added, "The burden on our hearts has been lifted, and we think we will be able to smile more often from now on."

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is cleaning a memorial stone honoring Prosecutor Kim at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Yangcheon-gu on the morning of the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Prosecutor Kim, who was working in the Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in May 2016, left a note expressing stress and pressure from his duties and took his own life at the age of 33. Subsequent investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed that his superior, Chief Prosecutor Kim Dae-hyun (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 27), had subjected him to habitual verbal abuse and physical assault for two years. The Ministry of Justice dismissed Chief Prosecutor Kim.

Kim's family applied for the convening of the Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 14th of last month to urge an investigation into Chief Prosecutor Kim, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Citizens' Committee approved this at the sub-committee. The Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee, which reviews the appropriateness of investigation and prosecution, is scheduled to be held on the 16th.

Meanwhile, it is known that the memorial ceremony was held following a request from Prosecutor Kim's father to former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk to leave a trace of his son's work, which Minister Choo fulfilled. Minister Choo also visited the office of the Southern District Prosecutors' Office where Kim had worked on September 30, the first day of this year's Chuseok holiday.

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