"Kim So-yeon Must Pay 100 Million Won" Lawsuit Filed by Justice Minister Park Beom-gye, Second Trial Verdict Next Month

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The second trial verdict in the 100 million won damages lawsuit filed by Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye against former People Power Party Daejeon Yuseong District Committee Chair Kim So-yeon (lawyer and former Daejeon city council member) will be announced next month.

The Civil Appeals Division 4 of the Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Yoon Hyun-jung) held a hearing on the 8th and heard the final arguments from Minister Park and former Chair Kim. The court decided not to accept the request from former Chair Kim’s side for direct testimony from the plaintiff and defendant (examination of the parties themselves). Since neither side submitted additional opinions, the arguments were concluded as is.

The verdict will be delivered at 9:50 a.m. on the 13th of next month.

Minister Park filed the lawsuit in December 2018, before his appointment as minister, claiming that "(former Chair Kim) stated false facts related to a bribery demand incident, damaging my honor and credibility and infringing on my personal rights."

Regarding this, the first trial on October last year dismissed Minister Park’s claim for damages, stating reasons such as "the defendant’s claims against the plaintiff are partly not false or, even if false, constitute lawful expression of opinion."

Former Chair Kim was elected as a Daejeon city council member affiliated with the Democratic Party but was expelled from the party, then moved through the Bareunmirae Party before joining the People Power Party. He also caused controversy last year before Chuseok by hanging a banner in the region with the phrase "Dalnim-eun Yeongchang-euro" ("The Moon is to the Detention Center").

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