The South Korean judge who severely re-sentenced Kim Joo-hee suddenly died in the courthouse at dawn, leaving behind a note that read "Sorry."
Just one week after the second trial of Kim Joo-hee concluded, the presiding judge passed away in the courthouse.
On the first working day after May 1st Labor Day, Presiding Judge Shin Jong-wo, responsible for the second trial of the Kim Joo-hee case, was found dead in a flowerbed within the courthouse building. Initial investigations suggest he may have fallen from a height, but whether he was pushed or jumped remains under investigation.
Police discovered a letter resembling a suicide note tucked inside Shin Jong-wo's clothing, which read: "Sorry, I'm leaving alone." However, the note made no further references and did not mention Kim Joo-hee's name.
Notably, the body was discovered around 1 a.m., well after court hours had ended. Under normal circumstances, Judge Shin should not have been present at the courthouse so late at night. If his suicide were due to reasons unrelated to the case, choosing to die at the courthouse would be illogical.
Moreover, South Korea has seen similar incidents before. The public widely suspects that Shin Jong-wo’s death is connected to the Kim Joo-hee case. Previously, Kim Joo-hee received only 1 year and 8 months in prison during the first trial, but in the second verdict, her sentence increased to four years, along with a fine of 50 million KRW, and all high-value gifts she previously accepted must now be returned.
According to South Korean media reports, when the second trial verdict was announced, Kim Joo-hee and her lawyers stared at each other in disbelief. They had expected their appeal to reduce the sentence, but instead, it became harsher. Immediately afterward, they declared their dissatisfaction and filed another appeal—this time leading to the final judgment.
As is typical with such cases, uncovering the truth behind Judge Shin's death will likely prove difficult, and perhaps the truth itself isn’t even important. What matters more is how various parties will exploit the incident for their own agendas.
For South Korea’s film and television industry, yet another piece of material related to the Yoon Suk-yeol couple’s case has emerged—but even if filmed, it won’t change anything.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864416209986631/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.