Seoul High Court Judge Shin Jong-oh was found dead inside the court building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on May 6, 2024 [1].
The death occurs amid a high-profile legal battle involving Kim Keon-hee, the wife of a former president, whose stock-manipulation appeal was under the judge's jurisdiction.
Police reported that the death occurred around 1 a.m. on May 6, 2024 [1]. The Seoul Seocho Police Station said the judge is believed to have died after falling from the building [2]. Investigators also recovered a document at the scene that is believed to be a suicide note [3].
Judge Shin had been presiding over the appellate proceedings for Kim Keon-hee. The appellate court overturned a first-instance ruling that had sentenced Kim to one year and eight months in prison [4]. The appellate court instead sentenced Kim to four years in prison [5].
Authorities are continuing to investigate the exact cause of death. While the police have characterized the incident as a fall, the discovery of the suspected note has led to further scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the event [3].
Court officials and police have not provided further details regarding the contents of the recovered document. The investigation remains active as officials work to determine if any other factors contributed to the incident [2].
“"A document believed to be a suicide note was discovered."”
The death of a presiding judge during a politically sensitive case involving the spouse of a former president creates a significant judicial vacancy and potential delays in the legal process. Because the appellate court had significantly increased the sentence from 20 months to four years, the timing of this event adds a layer of complexity to the public and legal scrutiny of the stock-manipulation proceedings.
