Senior judge caught with prostitute

A senior judge was caught buying sex at a studio apartment in southern Seoul.

The judge, surnamed Shin, tendered his resignation, but the Supreme Court did not accept it, saying it would review disciplinary measures.

Officers from the Suseo Police Station caught the judge as he was leaving the studio apartment in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, at around 11 p.m. Tuesday. Police officers were conducting a crackdown on prostitution in the area.

Shim was with a sex worker, whom he allegedly paid 200,000 won. Shim and the sex worker admitted to having engaged in prostitution, and both were booked without physical detention.

The judge said after he drank with acquaintances, he was attracted by a flyer, which prompted him to call the sex worker. Shim said he was alone when he went to see her.

After the incident, Shim expressed his intentions to resign. But the top court deferred accepting the resignation and just suspended him from duty, Wednesday.

“It is not appropriate to let the judge off as the investigation is still ongoing,” a court official said. “We will take strict punitive measures if the allegations are proven to be true.”

If found guilty, Shim could be subject to a prison term of up to one year, or a 3 million won fine.

Punitive measures to be handed down by the court’s disciplinary committee include a reprimand, suspension and a salary reduction.