[Breaking] Supreme Court Overturns and Remands 2nd Trial 'Not Guilty' Verdict for Gangneung Mayor Kim Han-geun's Fine... "Reasonable Personnel Discretion of the Appointing Authority"

Kim Hangun, Mayor of Gangneung.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The Supreme Court overturned and remanded the second trial ruling, which had sentenced Kim Han-geun, Mayor of Gangneung, to a fine of 5 million won in both the first and second trials on charges of promoting unqualified individuals to director positions through proxy appointments, excluding the original promotion candidates in a personnel reshuffle immediately after taking office in July 2018.

On the 11th, the Second Division of the Supreme Court (Presiding Justice Lee Dong-won) overturned the original ruling that sentenced Mayor Kim to a fine of 5 million won on charges of violating the Local Public Officials Act and sent the case back to the Chuncheon District Court Gangneung Branch.

The court stated, "The defendant's actions fall within the reasonable personnel discretion of the appointing authority and do not constitute 'acts that unduly influence appointments' under Article 42 of the Local Public Officials Act."

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