Former Governor Ahn Hee-jung Ordered to Compensate Sexual Assault Victim
Ahn Hee-jung, the former governor of South Chungcheong Province, and the provincial government have been ordered to pay 83 million won (approximately $70,000) to Kim Ji-eun, a victim of sexual assault. This ruling was confirmed on April 4, 2025, after neither party filed an appeal against the second-instance court's decision. This marks the conclusion of Kim's compensation lawsuit, which she initiated nearly five years ago.
According to legal sources, the Seoul High Court's Civil Division 3, presided over by Judge Bae Yong-jun, upheld the ruling made on March 12, 2025, which partially favored the plaintiff. In civil cases, if the parties do not file an appeal within two weeks of receiving the judgment, the ruling becomes final. Ahn Hee-jung, the provincial government, and Kim Ji-eun all failed to submit an appeal within the stipulated timeframe. The court had previously ordered Ahn to compensate Kim with 83,040,000 won.
Ahn was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and harassment against Kim, who served as his secretary, from July 2017 to February 2018. The case gained public attention when Kim revealed her experiences during a television interview in March 2018. Ahn was sentenced to three years and six months in prison by the Supreme Court in September 2019 and was released in August 2022 after serving his term.
In July 2020, Kim filed a lawsuit seeking 300 million won in damages, claiming that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to secondary victimization during the investigation and trial processes. Ahn's legal team denied any causal relationship between the alleged sexual assault and Kim's mental health issues. The trial was significantly delayed as it involved lengthy procedures to establish Kim's PTSD. The first-instance ruling was finally issued in May 2024, four years after the lawsuit was filed.
Following the second-instance ruling, Kim's attorney expressed disappointment that the court did not fully accept their claims but indicated they would consider whether to appeal to the Supreme Court after reviewing the judgment. Ultimately, no appeal was filed.
