The disciplinary action against Kim Sang-min, a former chief prosecutor who publicly expressed his intention to run in the upcoming general election while still in office, has been upheld.
According to legal sources on August 27, Kim withdrew his appeal against a ruling that dismissed his lawsuit seeking to overturn a three-month suspension imposed by the Ministry of Justice. This withdrawal confirms the lower court's ruling in favor of the ministry.
The Ministry of Justice's disciplinary committee had issued the suspension in February 2024, citing Kim's text messages sent to residents of his hometown, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, in September 2023. In these messages, he indicated his desire to run in the 2024 general election, stating, 'I am a Changwon person to the core' and 'I will bring great hope and goals to the community.'
Following his suspension, Kim registered as a preliminary candidate for the 2024 general election in the Changwon Ichang district in March 2024, just a month after the disciplinary action. However, he was later excluded from the candidate selection process.
Kim had filed an administrative lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice's disciplinary action, but the first court ruling in February last year upheld the legitimacy of the suspension. The second court ruling in June this year reached the same conclusion.
Additionally, Kim was recently sentenced to a suspended prison term by the Supreme Court for allegedly giving expensive paintings to Kim Geon-hee in exchange for favors related to candidate nominations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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