The Bar Association: "Non-prosecution of Lotok is an evasive decision, deeply regretted"... Lawyers demand an apology from the Bar Association

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Korean Bar Association expressed regret over the prosecution's decision not to indict the legal platform service 'Lotok,' which was accused of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act and other charges.

In a statement released on the 12th, the Bar Association said, "The prosecution's decision was an evasive one, strongly influenced by public opinion and external views rather than a rational judgment based on legal principles," and expressed "deep regret."

It added, "The prosecution presented a legally and procedurally unacceptable interpretation as the basis for the non-indictment decision and deviated from judging the essence of the so-called 'sentence prediction' service, which was used as a tool for specific lawyer referrals."

It also stated, "The Lawyer Group for the Protection of Professional Fields, which filed the complaint against Lotok, plans to appeal the prosecution's non-indictment decision soon," and urged, "We call for a fair judgment based on legal principles and common sense through the appeal process."

On the other hand, some lawyers issued a statement on the same day demanding an apology from the Bar Association. The 'Group of Lawyers Opposing the Deterioration of Advertising Regulations and Unfair Member Disciplinary Actions' said, "This is already the third time the Bar Association's repeated complaints against a specific platform have resulted in a no-charge decision," and demanded, "Formally apologize for dividing the legal community and intensifying conflicts."

They continued, "The Bar Association's tyranny is also depriving the public of their right to more easily obtain information about lawyers and to meet lawyers more closely," criticizing, "It is only instilling a shameful image among the public as a 'selfish professional group regressing with the times.'"

Meanwhile, on the previous day, the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kang Beom-gu) dismissed charges against Law&Company and its CEO Kim regarding violations of the Attorney-at-Law Act and other allegations.

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