By Kim Rahn
The Seoul Bar Association (SBA) has started a preliminary inspection on lawyer Kang Yong-seok over his alleged abuse of power as a legal professional by suing almost 800 Internet users.
According to the association, Tuesday, the inspection followed a recent petition by a civic group which asked the SBA to investigate whether Kang overused his power to file suits against citizens.
The civic group, the name of which was withheld, cited a case of a woman who was sued by Kang for writing comments critical of him but was later cleared of defamation suspicions by the prosecution.
“We’ll look into whether Kang filed criminal and civil suits recklessly against not only those who uploaded defaming postings about him but also those who just criticized him,” an SBA official said.
If the association concludes Kang’s acts were problematic, his case may be referred to the disciplinary committee.
Kang, a former lawmaker and TV personality, has sued more than 800 Internet users on 74 occasions over the last five months.
Last year, he caused a controversy over an ad for his law office, in which Kang, with a menacing look on his face, pointed his finger above the caption: “You! I will sue you!” The SBA reviewed the ad and concluded he violated its ethics code with “degrading and vulgar” promotional activity that would damage public trust in the profession.