Bar Association to Discuss Disciplinary Action Against Lawyer Kwon Kyung-ae for 'Non-Attendance in School Violence Lawsuit' Today

The Korean Bar Association (KBA) will discuss the disciplinary level for attorney Kwon Kyung-ae (58, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 33), who caused controversy by failing to appear in a school violence lawsuit, on the 19th.

Attorney Kwon Kyung-ae [Photo by Yonhap News]

The KBA will hold a full disciplinary committee meeting at 3 p.m. that day at the KBA Hall in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. The disciplinary committee consists of nine members: two judges, two prosecutors, three attorneys, one law professor, and one non-legal professional.

Originally, the disciplinary committee planned to hold a full meeting in July or August, but it is reported that the timing was moved up due to the high public interest in the matter. There is also a possibility that the disciplinary level will be decided on the same day.

Under the Attorney-at-Law Act, the types of disciplinary actions include permanent disbarment, disbarment, suspension of up to three years, fines up to 30 million won, and reprimands.

Prior to the disciplinary committee procedure, the KBA investigation committee conducted an investigation and internal review for about a month starting last month and recommended to the disciplinary committee that a severe punishment of suspension for six months or longer be imposed.

Attorney Kwon, known as a co-author of the "Cho Kuk Black Book," represented the bereaved families of school violence victims in a lawsuit against the perpetrators but failed to appear three times during the appellate trial last year, resulting in a loss. The bereaved families, who had won partially in the first trial, lost in the appellate trial due to Kwon's absence.

Kwon was criticized for not informing the bereaved families of this fact for five months. In a written explanation submitted to the KBA, he reportedly explained that he was unable to focus on the lawsuit due to health issues.

The bereaved families filed a damages claim lawsuit against Kwon in April, and the KBA initiated disciplinary procedures in the same month.

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