Assemblyman Kim Yong-min's Election Campaign Structure Collapse... Court Orders 6 Million Won Compensation

Fall in front of a structure and convenience store entrance during the 21st general election campaign
Court: "Responsible for damages... at least the amount of damage recognized"

Regarding the accident in which a promotional structure fell during the campaign for the 21st National Assembly election, a ruling was made ordering Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, to compensate the victim 6 million won.

Kim Yong-min, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

According to the legal community on the 23rd, Judge Yoon Ji-young of the Uijeongbu District Court Civil Division 31 single judge ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff A, who filed a damages claim lawsuit against Representative Kim on the 17th.

About a month before the 21st general election in March 2020, a temporary promotional structure for Kim, installed on the rooftop of a two-story building in Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, fell in front of the entrance door of a convenience store on the first floor. At that time, Kim was running as the Democratic Party candidate for the Namyangju Byeong district.

Due to this accident, the convenience store's signboard and tent were damaged, and there was a power outage for 24 hours, causing frozen and refrigerated products to be discarded. Additionally, during the structure's fall, loud noise and vibrations occurred, and the store owner A, who was inside the convenience store, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at a hospital due to mental shock. Eventually, A closed the business after 73 days of suspension.

Accordingly, A filed a lawsuit demanding that Representative Kim compensate a total of 40 million won, including 15.4 million won for damage to facilities, fixtures, and product disposal, 14.6 million won for loss of business, and 10 million won for consolation damages.

The court attempted to mediate the amount once, but the mediation failed due to rejection by both parties, and the trial resumed, resulting in a first-instance ruling about three years after A filed the lawsuit.

Judge Yoon stated, "It is recognized that the accident occurred due to defects in the installation and preservation of the structure," and judged, "The defendant, as the owner of the structure, is responsible for compensating the damages suffered by the plaintiff."

However, the judge added, "Since objective evidence regarding the amount of damage is insufficient, only the minimum amount of damages is recognized for the items where damage occurrence is acknowledged."

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