The presiding judge in former first lady Kim Keon Hee's appeals trial on corruption charges was found dead near a Seoul court early Wednesday, officials said. Police discovered judge Shin Jong-o's body and are investigating the cause, including the possibility of suicide. This follows the appellate court's decision last month to raise her sentence to four years.
Police discovered judge Shin Jong-o's body on a flower bed near the Seoul High Court compound in southern Seoul at around 1 a.m. on May 6, 2026, officials said. They responded to a report received about an hour earlier. A suicide note was apparently found at the scene, and police are investigating the exact cause of death, including the possibility of Shin jumping to his death.
Shin presided over the appellate trial of Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, at the Seoul High Court following her conviction by a lower court in January. Last month, the appellate court raised her sentence to four years from 20 months in prison, finding her partially guilty of involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme and guilty of accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church.
Police have not released further details on the death, which occurred early Wednesday.
