Singer Lee Seung-hwan has declared a full-scale battle against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho.
On May 14, Lee Seung-hwan took to social media, stating, “In the end, you aren’t offering any kind of apology. If that’s due to your convictions, it’s terrifyingly scary, and if it’s for the sake of your pride, it’s pitifully laughable.”
He announced, “As I mentioned, I will begin the appeal process. I will increase my legal representatives from two to ten, a five-fold increase. I will thoroughly examine if there are any loopholes in the State Compensation Act to ensure that those responsible cannot escape the law when they cause actual damage through arbitrary and anti-democratic decisions that go against social norms.”
Lee Seung-hwan emphasized, “I will make sure that Mr. Kim Jang-ho cannot easily spout values like law, principle, citizens, and safety, which he himself does not possess.”
He added, “Just as Mr. Kim Jang-ho said when he canceled my performance, as a senior and colleague in the music scene who has lived long enough, I want to leave a legal precedent that can contribute to the coexistence and progress of society and culture and the arts. To ensure this never happens again and to stop the repetition of narrow-minded and regressive behavior, such as denying or canceling venue rentals based on the whims of local governments, I will put a stop to the abuse of arrogant and lawless power through the ruling of this lawsuit.”
He also caught attention by tagging Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho’s ID, saying, “Mr. Mayor, you must not use tax money this time.”
Previously, on May 8, Presiding Judge Park Nam-jun of the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 913 ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs in a damage suit worth approximately 250 million won filed by Lee Seung-hwan, his agency, and concert ticket holders against Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho.
On the 9th, Mayor Kim Jang-ho mentioned the ruling on his social media, stating that while the court recognized partial responsibility, he would not back down. He declared, “As mayor, I will not back down regarding the safety of citizens in accordance with the law and principles, and I will continue to prioritize the lives and safety of citizens.”
In response, Lee Seung-hwan had stated that he would accept the entire first-instance ruling, including the defendant Kim Jang-ho, if an apology was made. He noted that defendant Kim Jang-ho could avoid liability for damages with a short apology. Furthermore, he announced that he would donate the entire compensation amount, excluding legal fees, to Gumi’s “Our Dream Light Youth Orchestra.”
