Ahn Hee-jung's Side: "Guilt Is Just One Piece of Evidence... No Secondary Harm Done"

The former Governor of Chungcheongnam-do, Ahn Hee-jung, who is currently involved in a civil lawsuit with sexual violence victim Kim Ji-eun, denied liability for damages once again in the trial resumed after two years.

Former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, accused of sexually assaulting his secretary, is entering the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on February 1, 2019, to attend the appellate trial sentencing hearing. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

At the hearing held on the 25th at the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 22 (Presiding Judge Choi Wook-jin), Ahn’s legal representative stated, "Although a guilty verdict was rendered in the criminal case and the act itself is not denied, it is only one piece of evidence," and added, "We deny the establishment of an unlawful act."

Regarding Kim’s claim that compensation should be paid not only for the primary harm related to the criminal charges but also for the secondary harm suffered during the criminal trial process, Ahn’s side countered, "It was a situation preparing for the trial, and after the second trial, he was detained and could not have influenced anything." The Chungcheongnam-do side, included as a defendant because the crime occurred during the performance of official duties, argued, "The primary harm is unrelated to work and is a personal deviation of Ahn Hee-jung," and "The secondary harm occurred after retirement and is unrelated."

The trial was held for the first time in two years since September 2021. This was due to procedures such as a physical examination to confirm Kim Ji-eun’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since there is no obligation for the parties to appear in civil litigation, neither Ahn nor Kim appeared in court.

Ahn’s side argued regarding the physical examination, "It seems that the examination did not reflect previous medical records concerning pre-existing conditions," and insisted that the examination should be redone. Kim’s side responded, "All past medical history was checked, and the current condition was assessed based on that, including pre-existing conditions." The court said, "Both parties must clearly submit the purpose of evidence and methods of proof within one week." The next hearing is scheduled for October 27.

Previously, Kim Ji-eun, who was Ahn Hee-jung’s executive secretary, revealed in March 2018 that she was sexually assaulted and molested by Ahn. Ahn was indicted on charges including sexual assault of a subordinate, molestation by force related to work, and forced molestation, and was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison in September 2019. Subsequently, Kim filed a lawsuit in July 2020 claiming 300 million KRW in total for consolation money and medical expenses from Ahn Hee-jung and Chungcheongnam-do, stating that she suffered PTSD due to Ahn’s crimes and secondary harm.

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