Chief Justice Apologizes for Remarks

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hun apologized on September 26 for his recent defamatory remarks that aroused controversy from lawyers and prosecutors.

“I would like to take this opportunity to say that I used harsh expressions and committed impropriety in a recent speech,’’ Lee said during a meeting with the judges of the Seoul High Court and the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, the last leg of his nationwide tour.

He added, “The mistakes were made while I was stressing the right direction in which trials should go and the importance of statement and trial-oriented procedure. After the remarks, I came under harsh criticism from the press for condemning lawyers and prosecutors. However, I didn’t mean to hurt them.”

Regarding part of his remarks made in Daejeon on September 19, “The documents drawn up by lawyers are intended to deceive people,” he said that it was not exactly what he had mentioned, but it was not proper. Lee added he had wanted to say that lawyers tend to make documents that are favorable to them.

About the part, “Judges should throw away prosecutors’ investigation records,” he explained that he meant to say that in civil cases, investigation documents should not be the only consideration in drawing a ruling for a fair trial.

However, the chief justice made clear his thoughts that judges, prosecutors, and lawyers should be given independent roles, and he reiterated the importance of trial-oriented criminal procedures and statements in a civil suit.

Lee said, “Personally, I was also hurt by this incident. But I know, publicly, that I did something wrong enough to stir a big criticism.”

After the chief justice’s apology, the Korean Bar Association called an emergency board of directors at 6:00 p.m. to talk about legal action that the member lawyers demanded against his remarks.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office did not make any official comment.

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