The son of Lee Dae-jun, a public official killed by North Korean forces in the West Sea during the Moon Jae-in administration, has recently withdrawn his damages lawsuit against former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee and others. This decision comes nearly five years after the lawsuit was filed and follows the acquittal of all involved parties in related criminal trials.
According to legal sources on July 30, the son submitted a withdrawal request to the Seoul Central District Court on July 13. The family's representative stated that they determined there was no practical benefit in continuing the lawsuit after all parties involved were acquitted in the criminal proceedings.
The case began in July 2021 when the National Human Rights Commission of Korea found that the Coast Guard had violated the family's rights and dignity during the investigation process. The commission criticized the Coast Guard for publicly disclosing personal information about Lee Dae-jun's financial situation and recommended warning measures against those involved in the investigation.
In response, Lee's son demanded a sincere apology from the Coast Guard and filed a lawsuit against Kim and two other officials. The claim amount was set at 2,020,922 won, symbolizing the date of Lee Dae-jun's death on September 22, 2020. Initially, the family indicated they would withdraw the lawsuit if the Coast Guard issued an apology, but no apology was ultimately given.
The trial was referred to mediation after the first hearing in February 2022, but no agreement was reached, and proceedings were suspended for several years while awaiting the outcome of Kim's criminal trial.
Kim was charged with distributing false information related to allegations of voluntary defection but was acquitted in both the first and second trials. The prosecution later abandoned its appeal, confirming the acquittal. Other officials from the security line at the time, including former National Security Office head Suh Hoon and former National Intelligence Service chief Park Ji-won, also received acquittals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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