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The top judges of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, the two largest judicial institutions in Korea, are being investigated side by side by the investigative agencies.
First, Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo, who refused to accept the resignation of an impeached judge, sparked controversy over the lies.
Constitutional Court Judge Lee Young-jin is accused of receiving golf entertainment.
Both top judges seem inevitable sooner or later from a detective agency.
This was reported by the journalist Son Gu-min.
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In February last year, former Chief Justice Lim Seong-geun, who was the subject of a judge’s first impeachment at the time, released a secret recording of a conversation with Chief Judge Kim Myung-soo in 2020.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kim revealed that he did not accept his resignation because he was aware of political movements.
People’s Power filed an indictment complaint against Chief Judge Kim, saying, “I have never blocked my resignation” in the National Assembly.
Earlier last month, the prosecution resumed its investigation, which had been suspended for more than a year, while investigating former chief judge Im Seong-geun, who was the side of the revelation, for reference.
Another Supreme Court Constitutional Court Judge Lee Young-jin is being investigated by the Bureau of Investigation into the Crimes of Senior Public Officials on hotel golf charges.
Last week, the Airborne Service kidnapped and searched a businessman who served the judge with golf and meals, as well as a lawyer who looked after him.
The head of the highest judiciary and the supreme judge were investigated side by side by the detective agency.
An investigation of the person concerned seems inevitable sooner or later, but both the prosecution and the prosecutor cannot say that an investigation has not yet been decided.
In the legal world, a written investigation is generally expected to be replaced by a written investigation rather than going to the investigation room as a courtesy.
However, it seems difficult to avoid the stigma of being a suspect.
[신중권/부장판사 출신 변호사]
“It’s kind of a scratch, kind of. The courts, the Supreme Court or whatever, even the Constitutional Court, these kinds of people are on trial right now …”
In the 2019 Nongdan judicial investigation, there was a precedent in which top judges, including Chief Judge Yang Seung-tae and Chief Judge Lim Jong-heon, had been investigated.
However, it seems difficult to avoid criticism that Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kim Myung-soo, who was charged with “secret registration” by a judge, and Judge Young-jin Lee, who was entertained, all undermined the trust of the Supreme Court of Justice.
This is Gumin Son of MBC News.
Video Coverage: Kim Doo-young / Video Editing: Oh Yu-rim
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