'Kim Hak-ui Illegal Departure Ban' Cha Gyu-geun Wins Lawsuit to Cancel Suspension

Cha Gyugeun, a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute who was indicted for illegally prohibiting former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui from leaving the country but was acquitted in the first trial, had his suspension from office by the Ministry of Justice overturned.

Cha Gyugeun, Research Fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute
Photo by Yonhap News

The Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 1 (Presiding Judge Kang Donghyuk) ruled in favor of Cha in the lawsuit he filed against the Minister of Justice seeking cancellation of the suspension from office on the 2nd.

The court stated, "It is recognized that there was a possibility that Research Fellow Cha would be convicted at the time of the suspension," but added, "Based solely on the evidence submitted by the defendant, it is difficult to acknowledge that there was a risk of compromising fairness in the performance of his duties as a research fellow."

Furthermore, the court noted, "It cannot be seen that a careful review was conducted at the time of the suspension in accordance with the original purpose of suspension, which is to exclude public officials from their positions to ensure fairness and trust in the execution of public duties."

Research Fellow Cha was indicted in April 2021 for his involvement in the illegal travel ban case of former Deputy Minister Kim, and was appointed as a policy advisor to the Minister of Justice in May of the following year before being suspended from his position. In response, Cha filed a lawsuit in 2022 seeking cancellation of the suspension, claiming it was unjust.

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