[2023 Asset Disclosure] Senior Judges Average 3.87 Billion KRW... Kim Myeong-su 1.8 Billion KRW

The average assets of high-ranking judges were calculated to be approximately 3.87 billion KRW.

Supreme Court. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

According to the '2023 Regular Asset Changes of 143 High-Ranking Judges' disclosed by the Supreme Court on the 30th, the average assets of high-ranking judges amount to 3.87223 billion KRW. This is an increase of 79.64 million KRW compared to the average total assets of 3.81434 billion KRW recorded last year.

Among them, 106 high-ranking judges saw an increase in net assets compared to last year, while 37 experienced a decrease. Forty-five judges increased their assets by more than 100 million KRW, and 12 judges decreased by more than 100 million KRW.

The Supreme Court cited factors such as the rise in official housing prices, individual land price increases, salary savings, and inheritance as reasons for these asset changes.

Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo's assets amounted to 1.81058 billion KRW, increasing by about 200 million KRW from last year through salary savings.

The high-ranking judge with the greatest assets is Yoon Seung-eun, Director of the Court Library, who reported assets of 19.86994 billion KRW. His assets increased by 913.39 million KRW compared to last year due to salary savings and his spouse's financial income.

Choi Sang-yeol, Senior Judge at the Seoul Central District Court, ranked second with assets totaling 18.1895 billion KRW. His assets increased by 1.88541 billion KRW compared to last year due to profits from land sales.

The high-ranking judge with the least assets is Justice Cheon Dae-yeop, who reported 334.5 million KRW. This is an increase of 31.42 million KRW from last year. Justice Cheon has been recorded as the high-ranking judge with the lowest total assets since 2021, when he was the Senior Presiding Judge at the Seoul High Court (273 million KRW). Kim Seong-su, Senior Professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, reported 357.35 million KRW, making him the second lowest after Justice Cheon.

The Supreme Court's Public Official Ethics Committee plans to complete the review of all disclosed individuals by the end of June and will take measures such as warnings and disciplinary requests as stipulated in the Public Official Ethics Act against those who fail to report assets accurately, including omissions.