Democratic Party Raises Allegations That Judge Presiding Over Yoon’s Insurrection Trial Was Entertained at Room Salon

At the Legislation and Judiciary Committee,
Kim Yongmin Calls for Judge's Removal from Duty

The Democratic Party of Korea has raised allegations that Judge Ji Guyon, presiding judge of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 25, who is overseeing the insurrection case against former President Yoon Sukyeol, was entertained at an adult entertainment establishment.

Yonhap News Agency

At a full session of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 14th, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yongmin stated, “We have received a detailed tip that Judge Ji drank on several occasions at a ‘room salon’ where the cost per person ranges from 1 million to 2 million won, and that not once did the judge pay.”

He continued, “Since the amount exceeds at least 1 million won, this could constitute bribery, or at the very least, a violation of Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. Shouldn’t the judge be immediately removed from the case and subject to an investigation?”

Kim added, “To restore public trust in the judiciary, it is necessary to prevent judges involved in corruption from presiding over trials. We must thoroughly investigate who provided the entertainment, and why the trial of Yoon Sukyeol is proceeding in such a questionable manner, including any possible connections.”

Lawmaker Kim Gipyo also released a photo of the entertainment venue in question, stating, “It is said that the person who accompanied Judge Ji was a party related to his official duties. This could be a very serious issue.”

Roh Jongmyeon, spokesperson for the election committee, said in a written briefing, “In the tip-off photo obtained by the Democratic Party, Judge Ji’s face is clearly visible. The Democratic Party has also confirmed that the location in the photo is a top-tier room salon in Gangnam, Seoul.”

He continued, “According to the information secured by the Democratic Party, the room salon expenses were paid not by Judge Ji, but by his companion. At such establishments, a gathering of three or four people can easily cost 4 million to 5 million won.”

Spokesperson Roh stated, “The Seoul Central District Court must immediately remove Judge Ji from all trial duties. We cannot entrust a trial on insurrection, which is critical to the fate of Korean democracy, to a judge mired in such serious allegations of immorality and illegality.”

He added, “While Judge Ji should voluntarily step down, it is unlikely. Therefore, we urge the judiciary to swiftly remove him from the case and conduct a thorough investigation.”

Jo Seungrae, head of public relations, also commented on the matter, saying, “The court administration must investigate the circumstances through an inspection. Judge Ji himself should take responsibility if the allegations are inappropriate, or provide an explanation if they are untrue.” He emphasized, “The suspicions we have are quite specific.”