Korean Public Interest Lawyers` Group, GONG-GAM

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Active in seeking law reform to protect the rights of sexual minorities, particularly homosexuals, transgendered individuals and HIV/AIDS infected people, we worked with other interested parties to successfully push for the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation as well as special AIDS prevention laws. We have also supported the specific cause of protecting the rights of homosexual men during their period of mandatory military service.

In supporting those courageous individuals who risk losing everything to blow the whistle on corruption or abuse of power, we provide advice on a wide range of issues, including civil and criminal procedures that may affect their case.

We also represent whistle blowers in litigation. In one case, a high school teacher was dismissed for having revealed evidence that the vice-principal had sexually abused students at the school. The teacher was dismissed from his position and was also criminally charged based on a complaint filed by the vice-principal for slander and loss of reputation. With respect to the dismissal, the teacher took his case to the disciplinary tribunal for teachers within the Ministry of Education, arguing wrongful dismissal and proposing a lesser penalty, namely, a three-month suspension. When the tribunal ruled against the teacher, he came to Gong-gam for representation in his appeal to the Administrative Court. The Court eventually ordered the reinstatement of the teacher at the school. With respect to the criminal case, we successfully obtained an acquittal from the charges brought by the vice-principal.

	An agreement with Open Information Center	2009.11.27 15:11	1172

	Writer	opmanager

Open Information Center for a Transparent Society- Gong-gam agrees to provide legal support to better realize Korean citizens' right to 'know'

On October 9, 2009, the Open Information Center for a Transparent Society and Gong-gam signed an agreement for legal support to better realize citizens' “right to know” or access to information.

The Open Information Center for a Transparent Society (hereinafter, the Society) is a civic organization that helps realize Korean citizens' right to know by disclosing records, and purports to increase the level of transparency and responsibility throughout Korean society. It conducts campaigns for information disclosure against public and private organizations, improves the law to realize Korean citizens' right to know and increase social transparency, and supports media investigations through the use of an information disclosure system.

Gong-gam has agreed to provide legal support on matters related to realizing Korean citizens' right to know, for one year within the limit of three cases. Gong-gam's first lawsuit on the Society's behalf was a request for adjudication on a constitutional complaint regarding the enforcement decree provision of the Official Information Disclosure Act. The provision establishes an information disclosure fee and excessively violates the right of Korean citizens to access knowledge.

[To see a request for an adjudication on a constitutional complaint - click!]