Compensation suit begins against Park

The first hearing was held at a local court Monday for those seeking compensation over mental and physical distress caused by the corruption scandal surrounding former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil.

In the class action suit, filed in December with 5,001 plaintiffs including their legal representative Kwak Sang-eon, each demands 500,000 won ($440) in compensation. Some 4,160 plaintiffs also separately filed a compensation suit in January, with its hearing schedule not yet confirmed.

Some of the plaintiffs said they had suffered from depression, while others said they had their weekends taken away by the ex-president because they had to attend candlelight vigils on Saturdays. Among the plaintiffs are also business owners who want to be compensated for losses in sales due to the monthslong rallies.

“We will look into whether the defendant’s illegal activities in performing her duty is serious enough for the public to be compensated, whether the mental damage was serious enough to be compensated, whether the mental stress was caused by the defendant,” the court earlier said of the case.

Park’s lawyers have said the case should be dismissed, saying it is “uncertain” who the victims are. They also said factual relations are “unclear,” citing the ongoing criminal trial of Park.

Park, who is in detention, is on trial on 18 charges including bribery and abuse of power in connection with the scandal involving her longtime friend Choi and local conglomerates.

The scandal, which surfaced in October, triggered massive anti-Park rallies, leading the parliament to vote to impeach her in December. The Constitutional Court upheld her removal from office in a unanimous ruling in March.

Law firm Inkang is still taking applications from those who wish to join the class action.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)