[Exclusive] Confirmation of Suspected Violation of Resident Registration Act by Supreme Court Nominee Oh Kyung-mi

Nominee for Supreme Court Justice Oh Kyung-mi (Photo by Supreme Court)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] It has been confirmed that Supreme Court Justice nominee Oh Kyung-mi and her spouse violated the Resident Registration Act.

On the 2nd, after analyzing the "Reference Materials for the Personnel Hearing to Review the Supreme Court Justice Appointment Consent" submitted by nominee Oh to the National Assembly, the office of Kim Yong-pan, a member of the People Power Party, revealed that Oh changed her registered address to Chungju, Chungbuk in 2015 while serving as a judge at the Seoul High Court. Considering the discrepancy between her actual residence and the registered address, there is a possibility of violating the Resident Registration Act. It was only in 2018 that nominee Oh re-registered her address back to Seocho-gu, Seoul, her previous address.

Regarding this, nominee Oh’s side explained, "Around 2009, she purchased a house with a garden in Chungju. Since it is only about an hour’s drive from Seoul, she and her family stayed there almost every week, making it her actual residence, which led to the address registration."

In the case of nominee Oh’s spouse (husband), the circumstances of violating the Resident Registration Act are even clearer. Like nominee Oh, the spouse, who also served as a judge, was found multiple times to have discrepancies between his actual residence and registered address. The spouse moved his registered address from Geumjeong-gu, Busan in 1999 to Seocho-gu, Seoul as nominee Oh’s spouse only in 2010. Even while working as a chief judge at the Cheongju District Court from 2012 to 2014, his registered address remained in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Nominee Oh’s side stated, "When the spouse was appointed to Changwon District Court in 1999, he did not have a proper residence and registered at his family home nearby (Dugudong, Busan) for commuting purposes. Since he worked in the Busan area as a regional judge for a while, he did not update his resident registration separately. Around 2010, when he started working in the metropolitan area, he registered his address at the Seoul house. Around 2012, when he became a chief judge and began working in Cheongju, they lived as a weekend couple, and he did not change his resident registration separately," explaining the situation.

Nominee Oh admitted to her spouse’s violation of the Resident Registration Act. Her side said, "Although it concerns her spouse’s matters, she sincerely regrets not handling the details meticulously as a nominee."

Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in approved the appointment consent for nominee Oh on the 20th of last month, following the recommendation of Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo. If nominee Oh is appointed as a Supreme Court Justice after the National Assembly personnel hearing, the number of female Supreme Court Justices will reach a record high of four. Nominee Oh’s personnel hearing is scheduled for the 15th.