South Korean judge who handed Kim Keon-hee 4-year term found dead days after verdict

AdvertisementSouth KoreaThis Week in AsiaPeopleSouth Korean judge who handed Kim Keon-hee 4-year term found dead days after verdict

Shin Jong-oh, who was found with severe injuries on the ground near the Seoul High Court, had a suicide note in his pocket, police say

2-MIN READ2-MIN Listen

Park Chan-kyongPublished: 11:39am, 6 May 2026A South Korean appellate court judge who presided over a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon-hee was found dead early Wednesday morning, police said.

Shin Jong-oh, who had overturned a lower court’s not guilty verdict and imposed a harsher sentence on Kim, was discovered with severe injuries in a flower bed near the Seoul High Court building in Seocho district, southern Seoul.

He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital.

Advertisement

Police suspect the 55-year-old died after falling from the building.

“It is true that an apparent suicide note was found in his pocket,” an officer at Seocho Police Station said in an interview. The note reportedly included phrases such as “I am sorry” and “I am leaving of my own accord”.

However, police said it did not mention Kim’s case or any of his judicial duties.

AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x