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| Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae bows his head in apology at the Supreme Court building in southern Seoul, Tuesday, over the latest corruption scandal involving a senior judge, before an emergency meeting of local court chiefs to discuss measures to deter corruption in the judiciary. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-kee |
By Kim Bo-eun
Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae offered a public apology Tuesday over the latest corruption scandal involving a senior judge.
"Representing the judiciary, I apologize for causing public concern, and pledge to take stern measures according to the findings of the investigation," Yang said.
He made the remarks prior to an emergency meeting with local court chiefs at the Supreme Court in southern Seoul, Tuesday. The meeting was convened to discuss measures aimed at rooting out corruption in the judiciary.
"The wrongful conduct of one judge is putting the entire court system in jeopardy and tarnishing the pride of judges," he said. "Integrity to a judge is different than that in other professions because it is directly related to a judge's identity. A judge without integrity cannot have a conscience, and a judge without a conscience cannot make a fair ruling."
He said he would look for ways to root out corruption involving judges, saying public trust is key for the judiciary's future.
The rare apology by the chief of the nation's top court is the first of its kind in 10 years.
The latest corruption scandal involves Kim Su-cheon, a senior judge at Incheon District Court, who was arrested last week over allegations of receiving kickbacks from the former head of a local cosmetics company.
Kim allegedly took bribes worth around 170 million won from Jung Woon-ho, ex-chief of Nature Republic. In exchange, he handed out heavier sentences than lower court rulings in trials held last year of retailers selling counterfeit products of the cosmetics firm.
In 2014, Kim allegedly bought a Range Rover SUV formerly owned and used by Jung at below the market price, for 50 million won, and later received some of the money back.
Kim also went on a trip to Vietnam with Jung, who allegedly covered most of the expenses. Moreover, Kim allegedly accepted 5 million won checks issued by Jung, which he claimed was condolence money.
Jung, who was tried last year on overseas gambling charges, is suspected of having used a broker — a cosmetic surgeon surnamed Lee — to lobby Kim to exert influence on the judiciary to have his sentence reduced.
Kim took leave of absence last month after the allegations surfaced.
He is not the only judge involved in a corruption scandal.
Last November, then-incumbent judge, Choi Min-ho, was convicted of receiving hundreds of millions of won in bribes from a private moneylender and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Last month, a senior judge was caught with a prostitute at a studio apartment in Seoul.
This is the third time for a Supreme Court chief justice to issue an apology over corruption in the judiciary.
The first was in February 1995. Former Chief Justice Yun Kwan apologized for 10 officials of Incheon District Court who were indicted for embezzlement. In August 2006, then Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon apologized for Cho Kwan-haeng, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court who was convicted of having received kickbacks from a broker, and influencing trials.
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