Presiding judge Shin Jung Oh of the Seoul High Court, who oversaw the high-profile appeal case of former South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee, has been found dead on the court complex grounds.
The judge's body was discovered by police early Wednesday, May 6, at around 1:00 a.m. local time on a flower bed near the courthouse in southern Seoul, following an emergency call an hour earlier. Investigators found a suicide note in the deceased's pocket apologizing to his family, with no mention of the trial involving the former president's wife.
Law enforcement has ruled out foul play and is investigating the case as a suicide.
The deceased headed the criminal division of the Seoul High Court, which a week earlier, on April 28, 2026, reviewed Kim Keon-hee's sentence and increased it from 20 months to four years in prison, along with a fine of 50 million won. The appellate court overturned the lower court's acquittal in a case involving stock price manipulation of Deutsch Motors between 2010 and 2012, finding the ex-first lady complicit.
In addition to financial market manipulation, Kim Keon-hee was found guilty of receiving expensive gifts, including Chanel handbags and Graff jewelry, from representatives of the Unification Church in exchange for lobbying for the organization's interests during her husband Yoon Suk Yeol's tenure as president-elect.
The trial is unfolding against the backdrop of a political crisis in South Korea, triggered by the impeachment and subsequent conviction of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who received a life sentence in February 2026 for organizing a rebellion related to the imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024. Kim Keon-hee has been in custody since August last year, and her defense has announced plans to appeal the four-year prison sentence to the Supreme Court.
Two days before the judge's death, on May 4, the special prosecutor's team also filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, demanding a harsher punishment, as the prosecution originally sought up to 15 years in prison for Kim Keon-hee. The case will continue in South Korea's highest court, where all case materials will be transferred.
Source: podrobno.uz