Arrest Warrant Dismissed for Senior Judge Accused of 'Trial Dealings and Bribery' on Charges of Receiving and Offering Bribes

"Insufficient Evidence Regarding the Main Offer of Bribery"

The arrest warrant for a sitting judge accused of providing favors in court proceedings in exchange for money and valuables has been dismissed.

Kim, a presiding judge accused of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Photo by Yonhap News

On March 23, Kim Jinman, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pretrial detention hearing for Senior Judge Kim and Attorney Jeong, and dismissed all warrants, citing "insufficient evidence regarding the main offer of bribery."

Previously, the Second Division of Investigation at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Suhwan) had requested arrest warrants for each of them on charges of receiving and offering bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Senior Judge Kim is accused of accepting money and valuables while serving at Jeonju District Court from 2023 to 2025. Attorney Jeong is accused of providing approximately 3.7 million won in cash, a gold ring for Kim's son's first birthday, and perfume for Kim's spouse, all as a fellow high school alumnus of Senior Judge Kim.

There are also allegations that Senior Judge Kim received free use of a building owned by a company in which Attorney Jeong and others are shareholders, for his wife's violin studio. The total value of money and benefits received, including the free lease benefit, is estimated to be in the tens of millions of won.

During the warrant review, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials claimed that Senior Judge Kim received these bribes in return for presiding over more than 20 appellate cases handled by Attorney Jeong and issuing lighter sentences than those handed down in the first trials.

Senior Judge Kim has denied all allegations. In a statement, he argued, "The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials filed for an arrest warrant based on allegations that were forcibly constructed by distorting evidence as a result of their unreasonable and unlawful investigation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.