It has been reported that the body of the 55-year-old judge was discovered around 01:00 at night in a flower bed area near the building. A note regarding suicide was also found next to him. Officials have not yet reached a definitive conclusion, but police are considering the possibility of suicide as one of the main versions of the incident.
He presided over the panel during the appeal process of a corruption case involving South Korea's former first lady.
According to the initial court ruling, Kim Keon-hee was sentenced to 20 months in prison on charges of stock price manipulation and accepting expensive gifts from a religious organization. Subsequently, under the ruling of the appellate court, with Judge Shin Jong-o presiding, her sentence was further aggravated and changed to 4 years in prison.
Notably, the content of the note found next to the judge's body contained no information whatsoever concerning this court case. This raises additional questions about the incident.
Currently, police are investigating various possibilities. This includes examining whether the judge was under personal and professional pressure. The incident has sparked widespread discussion among the South Korean public.
