You’ll remember former Sungkyunkwan University professor Kim Myung-ho, who shot a Seoul High Court justice with a crossbow at the judge’s residence in January? Well, in his appeal, Kim is claiming that his shooting of the judge was a legitimate act of self-defense (in Korean). Calling himself the victim and the judge the assailant, he said, “Wielding a weapon called [judicial] rulings, the justice system is creating many judicial victims.”
His lawyer, former lawmaker Park Chan-jong, has adopted a different strategy, claiming that since the crossbow in question was a leisure-use bow and not a lethal weapon, the shooting—or at least the injuries sustained—was an accident.
Kim does have his backers, including the National Association of Professors for Democratic Society, who joined with other civic groups to hold a press conference before Kim’s hearing to slam the court’s decision to turn down Kim’s request to have his detainment canceled, calling it a “clear human rights abuse” that refused to take into account the lowering of charges against Kim from attempted murder to assault.
6 Comments
William Telltale.
Korea has long had this concept of causation. A thief does not steal from a rich guy because the thief is bad, but the rich guy caused the thief to feel envy and insecurity by showing his wealth.
I suspect it might come from the language itself, where emotions “come out” of things. Food X does not smell bad, but a bad smell comes out of it. Similarly, I do not envy you, but you cause envy to come out of me. Just a very amateurish theory, though.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t not letting wingnuts get away with shooting judges with crossbows one of the hallmarks of a democratic society? Or is the ‘National Association of Professors for Democratic Society’ named following the precedent set by the ‘Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea’?
Please understand him. He must have had a difficult mind.
Seriously, the fact that an organization of academics can even try to justify this kind of behavior - criminal behavior with homicidal intent - is disturbing.
The argument by the professor is another angry outburst.
The argument by the lawyer is nonsense. Was it also an accident that he brought the crossbow, that he aimed the crossbow etc?
Take a look at the Professor group and how they spell society (socitety) in their logo. What does the extra T stand for?
I have an article in the Korea Times this week on Prostitution and the Legalalization of Prostitution in Korea. It will appear in the Wednesday edition. I hope this may bring up some lively conversations.
http://www.ahnse.blogspot.com
I read that his lawyer claimed that he had only wanted to talk to this judge and that the shooting had been accidental. Yes, and when he approached the judge he just happened to be carrying a crossbow? Whoops!