The Korean Bar Association has begun proceedings to open a disciplinary case against attorney Lee Ha-sang, counsel for former Minister of the Ministry of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun. Lee previously hurled profanity at Presiding Judge Lee Jin-gwan on a YouTube channel.
According to legal sources on the 9th, the Korean Bar Association's investigation committee held a review that day on applications to open disciplinary cases against Lee and attorneys Kwon Woo-hyun and Yoo Seung-soo. At the meeting, it voted to request the opening of a disciplinary case over Lee's "YouTube profanity."
The investigation committee dismissed the applications to open disciplinary cases against Kwon and Yoo. It determined that statements made in court cannot constitute grounds for discipline in light of the guarantee of the right to defend.
The investigation committee's resolution will be referred to the bar association's disciplinary committee. The disciplinary committee plans to hear Lee's explanation and review the submitted evidence to decide the final level of discipline.
Earlier, in November last year, counsel for the former minister Kim demanded the presence of a trusted associate during the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's insurrection case heard by Criminal Division 33 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jin-gwan). When the request was denied, they caused a disturbance in court, calling it an abuse of authority.
In response, the presiding judge ordered them to leave the courtroom and imposed 15 days of detention for contempt. However, the detention was not carried out on the grounds that the individual's identity details had not been specified at the Seoul Detention Center, the place of detention.
After the incident, in November last year the Seoul Central District Court requested discipline for Lee and Kwon, and the bar association initiated a disciplinary investigation under the association president's authority. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office also applied last month to the bar association to open disciplinary cases against three of the former minister Kim's attorneys.
Two months after imposing detention, on the 3rd the court re-executed Lee's detention. Lee will be held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, until the 16th.