Judge Shin Jong‑o, who sentenced former first lady Kim Keon‑hee, found dead

Judge Shin Jong‑o, the presiding appellate judge at Seoul High Court, handed former first lady Kim Keon‑hee a four‑year prison term and a 50 million‑won fine on April 28 for corruption offences linked to the Unification Church, stock‑price manipulation and influence‑peddling. Eight days later, at around 1 a.m., Shin’s body was discovered on the grounds of the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul. Police suspect he fell from a nearby building and are investigating the circumstances of his death.

Shin, who passed Korea’s bar exam in 1995, began his judicial career at the Uijeongbu branch of the Seoul District Court in 2001 and was appointed to the Seoul High Court in February 2024 after serving in Ulsan, Daegu and Cheongju. The investigation into his death remains ongoing.