South Korean Judge Shin Jong Oh Dead After Sentencing Former First Lady

Judge Shin Jong Oh was found unconscious near the Seoul High Court in the early hours of 6 May and later declared dead at a hospital. Seoul police opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death, stating there is no evidence of a crime and asking the public to respect the family’s privacy.

The death comes a week after Shin presided over the appeal case of former first lady Kim Keon Hee. On 28 April he increased her sentence to four years in prison and a fine of 50 million won for stock‑manipulation and bribery related to Deutsche Motors, overturning a lower‑court verdict that had cleared her of the charges. Kim’s case has been a focal point of South Korean political controversy.

Authorities have not released further details about Shin’s death, and no suicide note has been confirmed.