Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Dismisses Appeal of Late Kim Hong-Young's Accused Chief Prosecutor

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office dismissed an appeal filed against the partial dismissal of charges against former Chief Prosecutor Kim, who is on trial for verbally abusing the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young.

According to the legal community on the 9th, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office rejected the appeal filed by the Korean Bar Association requesting the indictment of former Chief Prosecutor Kim on charges of coercion and insult.

Prosecutor Kim, who worked in the Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, left a suicide note in May 2016 expressing work-related stress and job pressure before taking his own life. Former Chief Prosecutor Kim was prosecuted for allegedly assaulting Prosecutor Kim, who belonged to his department, four times at gatherings such as company dinners, and the Ministry of Justice dismissed former Chief Prosecutor Kim.

In November 2019, the Bar Association filed a complaint against former Chief Prosecutor Kim for assault, coercion, and insult, prompting the prosecution to launch an investigation. Subsequently, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted former Chief Prosecutor Kim without detention on assault charges, while dismissing the charges of insult and coercion due to lack of prosecutorial jurisdiction and insufficient evidence.

In response, the Bar Association appealed to the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, requesting that former Chief Prosecutor Kim be charged with defamation. However, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office reportedly dismissed the appeal, stating that although former Chief Prosecutor Kim's words and actions involved specific factual statements, they did not violate social norms.

After the appeal was dismissed, the Bar Association filed a re-appeal with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The bereaved family expressed their position, stating, "We cannot help but suspect that this decision is a continuation of the prosecution's practice of 'protecting their own,' which stems from such relationships."

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