A South Korean judge who presided over the sentencing trial of former first lady Kim Keon Hee was found dead on Wednesday, eight days after delivering the ruling. Judge Shin Jong-o was discovered dead in the compound of the Seoul High Court at around 1am on Wednesday, police said.
Background of the Case
Shin presided over the appellate trial of Kim, the wife of convicted former president Yoon Suk Yeol, and overturned the lower court decision that had sentenced her to 20 months in prison. He extended her sentence to four years and imposed a fine of 50 million won (£25,319) after the appellate court found her guilty in a stock manipulation case. She was also found guilty on charges related to accepting valuables, such as Chanel bags and a necklace from the Unification Church, and was ordered to return a diamond necklace.
Discovery of the Body
Police responded after Shin’s daughter reported she was unable to contact her father. His body was discovered on the fifth-floor terrace of the Seoul High Court building in Seocho-dong, Seoul. He was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. Police said they do not suspect foul play.
Details of the Sentencing
Kim, who has been detained since August, was initially sentenced to 20 months in January for bribery, while being cleared of other charges. She was also accused of manipulating small-cap stocks and illegally backing a candidate in a 2022 by-election. On 28 April, the appeals court led by Shin ruled that Kim had participated in manipulating the price of a thinly traded Korean stock with multiple traders, reversing the lower court’s acquittal on that charge. The court also found her guilty of accepting two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace, worth around 80 million won (£39,935), from the Unification Church while aware that the church expected political favours for its overseas business.
“Kim exerted her influence as first lady and committed the bribery,” the court said. “She damaged public trust in government transparency and caused a rift in public opinion over national affairs.”
Appeals and Related Cases
The ruling of the appeals court was challenged by a special counsel team, which had sought a 15-year prison term for Kim. It challenged the court’s decision to acquit her on charges of violating the political funding law by allegedly receiving free opinion poll results from a self-proclaimed power broker. The case was among a series of trials faced by the couple stemming from investigations into Yoon's brief imposition of martial law in 2024 and related scandals involving the once-powerful couple. Yoon, who was removed last April, was sentenced to life in prison in February for masterminding an insurrection tied to his imposing martial law in 2024.
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