Meeting of Exam Candidates Reports Park Beom-gye, Candidate, to Prosecution for Abuse of Authority Amid Assault Allegations

Minister of Justice nominee Park Beom-gye is arriving at the hearing preparation office set up at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong on the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A group of exam candidates claiming to have been assaulted in the past by Park Beom-gye, the nominee for Minister of Justice, has filed an additional complaint against him for abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

The group for the preservation of the judicial examination announced on the 14th that they had reported Park to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

The group stated, "Park instructed members of the preparatory team to convey the false information to the press that 'there was no assault on the exam candidates,' and by having this false information reported, he committed an illegal act that damaged the honor of the exam candidates," adding, "Park's order to spread false information infringes on the constitutional right of the public to know, disrupts the verification of the nominee, and constitutes abuse of authority by damaging the victims' honor."

The group claims that on November 23, 2016, Park allegedly grabbed the collar of an exam candidate who was requesting the passage of a bill to preserve the judicial examination at his officetel located in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and verbally abused him. Park has denied these allegations and stated that he will clarify the specific details of the incident during the confirmation hearing.

Meanwhile, the group also filed a complaint against Park at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 12th for defamation through publications. The group said, "(Park) did assault an exam candidate who was kneeling and pleading to save the judicial examination, but in a media interview on his way to work, he falsely claimed that 'there was no assault and that he was almost hit by the exam candidates,'" adding, "Since this statement seriously damaged the complainants' honor by stating false facts, we are filing a criminal complaint against Park."

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