Park Sangyong Wins Partial Victory in 'Drinking Party and Feces Rumor' Damages Lawsuit... Court Orders Kang Mijeong and Others to Pay Compensation

Claim Against Lawmaker Lee Sungyun Dismissed

Regarding the so-called "Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office Drinking Party and Feces Rumor," the court has ordered some of the defendants to pay damages in a lawsuit filed by Sangyong Park, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, against former and current members of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Sangyong Park, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On May 8, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 25 (Presiding Judge Kwon Kiman) ruled in the damages suit filed by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park against nine individuals, including Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sungyun, ordering former spokesperson Kang Mijeong of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party to pay 20 million won in damages. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Kangwook and comedian Kang (family name only disclosed) were ordered to pay 10 million won each jointly with former spokesperson Kang, as part of the 20 million won in total damages. The claims against Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sungyun and the remaining defendants were dismissed.

As for litigation costs, in the case involving Kang Mijeong, four-fifths will be borne by the plaintiff and one-fifth by Kang Mijeong; in the case involving Choi Kangwook, nine-tenths will be borne by the plaintiff and one-tenth by Choi Kangwook; in the case involving Kang Sungbeom, two-thirds will be borne by the plaintiff and one-third by Kang Sungbeom, respectively. All costs incurred with respect to Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sungyun and the other remaining defendants will be borne entirely by the plaintiff.

Previously, in June 2024, lawmaker Lee raised suspicions at a full meeting of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee that about 30 prosecutors from the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office used special activity funds to host a drinking party in 2019. He also mentioned rumors that after the gathering, a prosecutor had smeared feces on the washbasin and other areas of the executive cafeteria bathroom inside the government building. The controversy escalated after Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Youngkyo identified Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park as the subject of the allegations.

In response, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park filed a damages lawsuit against them in July of the same year. In particular, he claimed 300 million won in damages from lawmaker Lee, who first raised the feces allegation, for defamation. He also posted a statement on the internal prosecution network refuting the allegations as "clearly false."

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