Former Chief Justice Kim Yong-cheol Passes Away... Funeral Held as 'Court Chief'

Former Chief Justice Kim Yong-cheol. Photo by the Supreme Court

Former Chief Justice Kim Yong-chul passed away on the morning of the 14th at the age of 99.

Born in 1924 in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, former Chief Justice Kim graduated from Gyeongbuk Middle School, which was a five-year program at the time, and passed the 3rd Joseon Bar Examination in 1949 while attending Seoul National University’s College of Law.

After graduating from Seoul National University in 1950, he served as a judicial officer trainee at the Seoul District Court and then served as a Navy legal officer from 1951 to May 1957.

Thereafter, he held various positions including ▲Judge at Daegu District Court (1957) ▲Judge at Daegu High Court (1960) ▲Chief Judge at Seoul District Court (1961) ▲Acting Judge at Seoul High Court (1962) ▲Chief Judge at Seoul Civil District Court (1963) ▲Chief Judge at Seoul Criminal District Court (1966) ▲Chief Judge at Seoul High Court (1968) ▲Chief Judge at Chuncheon District Court (1973?1975) ▲Supreme Court Justice (1975?1981) ▲Director of the Court Administration Office (1981?1986), and served as the last Chief Justice of the 5th Republic from 1986 to 1988. He also served as Chairman of the Kyung Hee Foundation from 2006 to 2015.

Former Chief Justice Kim was awarded the Order of Service Merit, Cheongjo Medal in 1979 and the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, Gwanghwa Medal in 1986. In 2000, he received the 8th Proud Seoul National University Law Alumni Award, and in September 2015, on the first Court Day, he was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Mugunghwa Medal.

The funeral hall is set up at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. The funeral procession will be held on the 17th, and the burial site is the National Daejeon Cemetery.

Survived by his eldest son Kim Sung-jae, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, and son-in-law Choi Sung-joon, former Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission. The funeral will be conducted as a court funeral (葬).