Partial Release of Opinion from Investigation Review Committee on Late Prosecutor Kim Hong-Young's Bereaved Family... "A Self-Portrait of Workplace Harassment in Our Society"

Memorial plaque for the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young displayed at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. / Provided by the bereaved family

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The bereaved family of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who took his own life after suffering verbal abuse and physical assault from his superior, the chief prosecutor, emphasized that "the tolerance of workplace harassment within the prosecution reflects the level of workplace harassment in our society as a whole."

On the 15th, a day before the Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee was to be held regarding former Seoul Southern District Prosecutor Chief Kim Dae-hyun, who was Kim’s superior, the bereaved family publicly shared part of the opinion letter they submitted to the committee, expressing these views.

In the opinion letter, the family stated, "It has been well over four years since the victim took his own life, unable to endure the physical assault and humiliating verbal abuse from the accused. At this point, the public’s interest in whether the accused will face criminal punishment is not only because this case is symbolic of ‘prosecutorial reform.’"

They continued, "Many citizens suffer from workplace harassment, and although the ‘Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act’ has been in effect since July 16, 2019, a year has passed and 70% of workers say they have not felt any change. Civic groups are expressing concerns that the ‘Workplace Harassment Prevention Act’ is becoming a ‘Workplace Harassment Neglect Act.’"

Furthermore, the family pointed out, "At the time, none of the senior or junior prosecutors who witnessed the victim being assaulted and having his honor severely damaged by the accused raised any objections. The culture within the prosecution is not just a problem of the prosecution itself."

The family emphasized, "The prosecution is the apex investigative agency in South Korea, not only holding the authority to conclude investigations but also effectively monopolizing prosecutions. The fact that workplace harassment is tolerated within such a prosecution organization as described above is ultimately a stark self-portrait revealing the level of human rights sensitivity toward workplace harassment in our society."

Finally, the family concluded the opinion letter by stating, "Recently, the Ministry of Justice and prosecution family collectively hung a memorial plaque at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office with the message ‘We must remember so that the sacrifice of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young is not in vain.’ The victim’s family and their representatives submit this opinion letter with the hope that the victim’s sacrifice will not be in vain and with the expectation that the members of the Prosecutorial Citizen Committee will make a wise decision."

Prosecutor Kim, who worked in the Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, left a will expressing his stress and pressure from work in May 2016 and took his own life at the age of 33.

Former Chief Prosecutor Kim, who was 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 ultimately lost the case at the Supreme Court in March of last year.

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