The Supreme Court panel that will handle the final appeal in the Public Official Election Act case involving First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, has been decided.
On August 4, the Supreme Court assigned Kim's case, concerning alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act, to the Third Division, which consists of Justices Lee Heung-gu, Oh Seok-jun, Noh Kyung-pil, and Lee Sook-yeon. The presiding justice is Noh Kyung-pil (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 23rd class).
Kim was indicted without detention on February 14 of last year on charges of providing a meal worth 104,000 won using a Gyeonggi Province corporate credit card to a total of six people?including three spouses of current and former Democratic Party lawmakers, her driver, and an aide?at a restaurant in Seoul on August 2, 2021, when President Lee was serving as Governor of Gyeonggi Province.
The first trial, held last November, sentenced her to a fine of 1.5 million won. On May 2, the appellate court also dismissed both Kim's and the prosecutor's appeals, upholding the original verdict. As Kim appealed the appellate court's decision, the case has now reached the Supreme Court for a final judgment.
Meanwhile, Presiding Justice Noh was appointed by former President Yoon Suk-yeol upon the recommendation of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and is considered to have a conservative orientation. Born in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, he graduated from Gwangju High School and Seoul National University School of Law. On May 1, Justice Noh was among the majority of ten justices who found President Lee guilty in the Supreme Court Grand Bench's remand decision regarding President Lee's own Public Official Election Act case during his presidential candidacy.
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