Bereaved Families of Japanese Forced Labor Victims Request Replacement of Court Panel Including Judge Formerly from Kim & Chang

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 14th, the bereaved families of victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule requested the replacement of the panel that includes a judge formerly affiliated with the law firm Kim & Chang.

The Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), representing the bereaved families, stated on the same day, "There is suspicion of a special relationship between the judge and the defendants' legal representatives involved in the case," and added, "We have filed a motion to disqualify the judge."

The motion concerns Judge Lee Baek-gyu of the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 96, who is presiding over the damages lawsuit filed by the bereaved families, including Jeon Mo, against Nippon Steel and JX Metals. Judge Lee worked as a lawyer at Kim & Chang law firm from 2003 to 2017.

Minbyun argued, "Some of the legal representatives for the Japanese companies are known to be members of the so-called Kim & Chang 'Forced Labor Case Response Team,' which operated during the period when Judge Lee was employed at Kim & Chang," and claimed, "It is highly likely that Judge Lee developed close ties with the representatives of the Japanese companies."

They continued, "There have been reports of illegal and improper judicial dealings between the judiciary and Kim & Chang in forced labor cases, and related trials are currently underway," adding, "There are objective circumstances that raise suspicion that a judge who worked at Kim & Chang cannot conduct a fair trial in forced labor cases."

Previously, in 2013, Kim & Chang formed a forced labor case response team composed of former senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and judges to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that recognized the liability of wartime companies for damages to victims. This response team was investigated for unofficially contacting high-ranking judiciary officials, including meeting with former Chief Justice Yang to receive plans for referral to the full bench, which sparked controversy.

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