Former Minister Kim Myung-gon Sentenced to Suspended Prison Term in First Trial on Charges of Forced Indecent Assault

Former Minister of Culture and Tourism Kim Myung-gon, who was prosecuted on charges of sexual assault, was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial.

Former Minister of Culture and Tourism Kim Myung-gon heading to court. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 13th, Judge Kwon Kyung-sun of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 20 sentenced former Minister Kim to 4 months in prison with a 1-year suspension. He was also ordered to attend 40 hours of sexual violence treatment lectures.

The court stated the reason for sentencing, saying, "The defendant deposited 20 million won in escrow, but the victim petitioned for severe punishment, stating that the escrow should not be applied favorably," and "the sentence was determined considering various circumstances such as the relationship with the victim and the degree of assault."

Earlier, former Minister Kim was prosecuted on charges of making unwanted physical contact twice with a subordinate victim during a conversation related to a musical he directed around May 2014.

Kim Myung-gon wrote the screenplay and played the lead role 'Yoo Bong' in 'Seopyeonje,' directed by Im Kwon-taek, winning the Best Actor award at the 1993 Blue Dragon Film Awards. He later transformed into an administrator by becoming the head of the National Theater of Korea in 2000. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration in 2006, he served as the Minister of Culture and Tourism.

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