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Se-joong Oh, former Chairman of the Korea Patent Attorneys Association, lost a lawsuit filed against the association and current Chairman Jang-won Hong to confirm the invalidity of the election. The court judged that there was no problem with the "payment return pledge" that former Chairman Oh took issue with.

The Civil Affairs Department 20 of the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by former Chairman Oh to confirm the invalidity of the election.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after the election of the 41st Chairman of the Korea Patent Attorneys Association. In the election held in February 2020, former Chairman Oh and Chairman Hong clashed. Chairman Hong was elected with 54.7% of the valid votes.

Former chairman Oh objected to the election results. Chairman Hong disparaged and criticized the previous executive's performance in a group chat room where more than 600 people participated ahead of the election and claimed that he continued to attack until candidate registration. He also pointed out that Chairman Hong's pledge to return the association's salary also violates the rules banning donations to the association.

Former Chairman Oh immediately filed a lawsuit seeking confirmation of invalidity of election after the objection filed with the National Election Commission of the Korea Patent Attorneys Association for defamation and pre-election campaigns were dismissed.

The first trial court did not acknowledge the reasons for the lawsuit filed by former Chairman Oh.

It was judged that it did not constitute a violation of regulations on the election of executives, which are self-governing laws, such as defamation claimed by former Chairman Oh and violation of regulations banning donations.

The court ruling made it difficult for former Chairman Oh to avoid criticism that he provided the cause of internal strife in the Korea Patent Attorneys Association. At the time of filing the lawsuit, criticism was raised in the patent attorney's camp that former Chairman Oh objected to the election results reflecting members' opinions and filed a lawsuit to shake the executive branch.

It is also focused on how the ruling ahead of the next presidential election will affect the outcome of the election.

The Korea Patent Attorneys Association will hold the 42nd election in February. With Chairman Hong virtually seeking a second term, attention is being paid to whether former Chairman Oh will re-run.

The two sides did not disclose their official positions on the outcome of the ruling.
A patent attorney said, "The Korea Patent Attorneys Association has suffered a lawsuit for two years due to dissatisfaction with the unprecedented election results," adding, "I hope the issue is quickly resolved ahead of the next election."
 
By Staff Reporter Choi ho (snoop@etnews.com)