Lawyer's ad draws mixed response

By Lee Kyung-min

An ad for the office of lawyer Kang Yong-seok posted at Seocho Station in southern Seoul, Thursday. The caption reads: “You! I will sue you!” / Yonhap

Lawyer Kang Yong-seok, also a TV celebrity, has drawn public attention over an advertisement for his law office which he thinks may best represent his career, while his fellow lawyers say it is degrading and vulgar.

In the poster displayed at Seocho Station on subway line No. 2, Kang‘s photo is shown with a menacing look on his face pointing his finger above the caption: “You! I will sue you!”

The image of Kang, a former ruling party lawmaker, was taken from a photo of a time when he had argument with another lawmaker during a National Assembly session in 2011 when he was a member of the Assembly.

Some say the poster reveals the true Kang, often called “king of the lawsuit.”

He was kicked out of the ruling party after he was sued for defamation of character by a group of TV anchorwomen when he said, “Female TV anchors should give their all,” indicating they had to offer even sex in exchange for landing or maintaining their jobs.

Months later, he sued a comedian Choi Hyo-jong, claiming Choi made derogatory remarks about lawmakers as a whole during a comedy show. He later dropped the suit.

He then kept filing lawsuits against high-profile public figures including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).

Kang, a self-proclaimed “lawsuit specialist,” earlier said that he enjoys legal battles because fighting against high-profile public figures only makes him stronger.

“I don’t believe in fasting, street protests, or crying as an effective means to voice concern over social or personal issues. That is why I sue,” he said.

However, many lawyers seem unhappy with the poster.

The Seoul Bar Association said it will hold a committee meeting to determine whether Kang violated the ethics code by engaging in a degrading promotional activity. Under the code, lawyers are banned from promoting themselves using false information, defaming other lawyers, or being engaged in any activity that damages the public trust against the profession.

Depending on the committee’s determination, he might be ordered to modify or remove the advertisement.

Kang, who hosted a talk show on a cable channel, recently quit the program after allegations that he had an affair with a blogger.