Chief Judge Kim, suspected of receiving bribes in exchange for favorable rulings, attends a warrant examination on March 23. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) requested an arrest warrant on March 18 for the chief judge, who was found to have received tens of millions of won in cash and gifts from a regional law firm lawyer and provided judicial favors. [Yonhap News]

A sitting chief judge has been indicted for accepting tens of millions of won in cash and gifts from a lawyer, a high school alumnus, in exchange for providing favors related to trials.

The Investigation Department 2 of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced on the 6th that it has indicted Chief Judge Kim and lawyer Jung without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Bribery) and bribery, among others.

Chief Judge Kim is accused of having received 33 million won in cash and gifts as compensation for favorably reducing sentences in cases handled by lawyer Jung, a senior from his high school, while serving as the presiding judge for criminal appeals at the Jeonju District Court from 2023 to 2025.

According to the CIO, Chief Judge Kim presided over 21 appellate cases handled by the law firm represented by lawyer Jung, and reduced the sentences in 17 of them.

Notably, in six cases sentenced after March 2024, for which lawyer Jung received undue financial benefits, all original sentences were overturned, according to the investigation.

For a defendant who committed drunk driving again while on probation, the sentence was reduced from five months imprisonment to a fine of 5 million won. For a defendant involved in operating an illegal sports betting site, the sentence was reduced from actual imprisonment to a suspended sentence.

It was revealed that Chief Judge Kim received undue benefits, including a one-year rent-free use of a commercial space for his spouse's violin lessons and having lawyer Jung cover the construction costs for soundproofing facilities for the lessons, as compensation for these favors.

The indictment also includes the charge of receiving a gift box of nuts containing 3 million won in cash from lawyer Jung.

Chief Judge Kim, suspected of receiving bribes in exchange for favorable rulings, attends a warrant examination on March 23. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) requested an arrest warrant on March 18 for the chief judge, who was found to have received tens of millions of won in cash and gifts from a regional law firm lawyer and provided judicial favors. [Yonhap News]

It is understood that lawyer Jung set success fee conditions, anticipating the court's rulings during the trials, and reaped significant profits through these arrangements.

Cases were uncovered during the investigation where success fees of tens of millions of won were received in advance, conditional on the release of Chief Judge Kim before his discretionary bail decision, or where success fee conditions were suddenly added the day before sentencing and were fully reflected in the ruling.

The CIO also confirmed through interview recordings and other evidence that rumors of Chief Judge Kim and lawyer Jung's acquaintance circulated inside and outside correctional facilities, leading to a surge in clients for lawyer Jung's law firm.

Based on these circumstances, the CIO requested arrest warrants for Chief Judge Kim and lawyer Jung in March, but the court dismissed the requests, citing insufficient evidence of bribery.

Subsequently, the CIO conducted additional supplementary investigations without re-requesting arrest warrants and indicted both individuals without detention.

A CIO official explained, "We conducted supplementary investigations from a conservative perspective regarding the rent-free provision of the commercial space, which differed from the court's opinion," adding, "We believed that indictment was sufficiently possible and did not request separate arrest warrants."

The CIO emphasized, "We have uncovered that a sitting chief judge received bribes through his trial responsibilities from the lawyer of the case he was presiding over," and stated, "We will continue to sternly deal with corrupt crimes that undermine the credibility of the judiciary, in accordance with the law and principles."