People Power Party’s Joo Jin-woo: “Kim Sung-soo Failed to Pay 27 Million Won in Rent for His Brother-in-Law’s Dogok-dong Apartment”

[Financial News] People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo said on the 4th that Supreme Court Justice nominee Kim Sung-soo, 57, a graduate of the 24th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, lived in his brother-in-law’s apartment in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, under a jeonse lease below market value. Joo alleged that Kim failed for nearly three years to pay the 800,000 won per month he had agreed to pay instead of the difference in the deposit.
Joo wrote on Facebook that Kim had failed to properly pay even the 800,000 won per month he had agreed to pay instead of the difference in the deposit. He made the remarks in connection with allegations that Kim had obtained a below-market jeonse lease for the Dogok-dong apartment where he currently lives.
Joo had previously claimed that Kim evaded gift taxes by living long-term in a Gangnam-gu apartment under a jeonse deposit that would have been impossible at market rates.
Kim lived under a jeonse lease from February 2011 until 2021—about 10 years—in Yeoksam e-Pyeonhansesang in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, which was owned by his brother-in-law. He then moved to Dogok Rexle, a 43-pyeong unit, in June 2021. Joo claims that Kim used a sublease arrangement in which his brother-in-law first rented the property and then leased it to Kim.
Joo also raised allegations that Kim failed to pay the 800,000 won per month he had agreed to pay his brother-in-law after moving to Dogok Rexle for 34 months.
According to Joo, the account transaction records Kim submitted as proof of payment show a final transfer of 1.6 million won on November 2, 2023, with no subsequent payments of 800,000 won per month. As a result, Joo said the unpaid amount from November 2023 through August of this year totaled 27.2 million won over 34 months. A sublease agreement Kim and his brother-in-law signed in 2025 also stipulates a monthly payment of 800,000 won, but Joo pointed out that payments were not resumed afterward.
Joo also questioned Kim’s explanation that he had lived with his brother-in-law at Dogok Rexle. Since the brother-in-law had lived separately in Pangyo rather than with Kim’s family at the Yeoksam-dong apartment, Joo argued that objective evidence was needed to verify whether they had actually lived together at Dogok Rexle.
Joo said, “Kim and his brother-in-law must submit mobile phone location records, credit card transaction records, vehicle access logs, and other evidence to clearly establish whether they actually lived together at Dogok Rexle.” He added, “Only the nominee’s family lived in the apartment owned by his brother-in-law, and even the 800,000 won per month stipulated in the contract for Dogok Rexle was not paid for nearly three years. They merely drew up a contract between family members and failed to pay the agreed amount for an extended period.”
He continued, “This confirms the allegations that he lived rent-free and evaded gift taxes. Kim must pay the evaded gift taxes and immediately resign as a Supreme Court Justice nominee.”
As controversy grew, Kim’s personnel hearing preparation team explained, “He paid the promised amount for a considerable period but was unable to make some payments due to circumstances. He has always regarded the unpaid amount as a debt.”
The team added, “He feels sorry toward his brother-in-law and will resolve the matter as soon as possible.”
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter