Im Eun-jung, the Director General of the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, said, "The Ministry of Justice placed me on the 'prosecutor blacklist' and imposed illegal disciplinary actions against me." In the second trial of the lawsuit against the state, the court ruled, "The state must pay Director General Im 10 million won in damages." The first trial's result was the same.
On the 9th, the Seoul High Court's Civil Division 1-3 (Director General Choi Seong-bo, Lee Jun-young, Lee Yang-hee) upheld the first trial's ruling, stating, "The defendant must pay the plaintiff 10 million won," while dismissing appeals from both parties in the second trial of the damages lawsuit filed by Director General Im against the state. The court did not disclose specific reasons for dismissing the appeals.
Previously, Director General Im filed a lawsuit seeking over 200 million won in damages against the Ministry of Justice in April 2019 while serving as a senior prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office. Director General Im claimed that the Ministry of Justice had placed her on the blacklist as a 'target for concentrated management' and had imposed various personnel disadvantages, constituting undue interference.
The first trial court ruled on December 1, 2022, "The defendant must pay 10 million won in damages," siding with Director General Im. The court stated, "Despite the court's request, the Ministry of Justice failed to submit documents related to the selection and management guidelines of concentrated management targets, which were non-public regulations," adding, "It is recognized that there was systematic and continuous undue interference in designating Senior Prosecutor Im as a concentrated management target." However, regarding the part about the 'personnel disadvantages' claimed by Director General Im, the court found no illegality, leading to a partial victory.
Meanwhile, Director General Im was appointed as the new head of the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on the 1st. Director General Im has been noted as a prominent figure advocating for judicial reform, having expressed critical views on prosecution personnel and policies through the internal prosecution network and other channels.