Judge who acquitted Myeong Tae-gyun absent from first appeal hearing; trial postponed until next year

[Financial News] Senior Judge Kim In-taek of the Suwon District Court, who was indicted on suspicion of receiving overseas golf-trip expenses worth several million won from a duty-free shop official, did not appear at the first hearing of his formal trial. The trial has been postponed until next year, and if his absences continue, proceedings are expected to go ahead without Judge Kim.
Seoul Central District Court's single-judge Criminal Division 26 (Presiding Judge Lee Hwan-gi) held the first hearing on the morning of the 11th for Judge Kim, who is accused of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. However, the proceedings were thrown into disarray because the defendant himself did not appear in court.
Judge Kim is accused of having expenses totaling 3.47 million won, including airfare and accommodation for golf trips to Japan and China, paid on his behalf by a duty-free shop official on three occasions—in October 2024, and in February and May 2025.
Last March, the court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 5 million won on Judge Kim, but he challenged the order and requested a formal trial. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, when a defendant challenges a summary order and requests a formal trial, the trial generally cannot proceed at the first hearing if the defendant is absent.
At the hearing, a lawyer for Judge Kim said they had received notice that he would not attend that day but did not disclose the specific reason. The lawyer explained, “We were informed that he would be absent due to various circumstances,” and added, “There is no intention to deliberately delay the trial.” The lawyer also said that the day before, they had submitted to the court a statement denying the charges in the indictment, indicating that Judge Kim would deny them in full.
After confirming Judge Kim’s absence, the court set the next hearing for the morning of February 17 next year. Judge Kim’s side agreed that if he also failed to appear at the next hearing, the court could proceed with the case in absentia.
Under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, public officials may not receive or solicit money or other valuables from the same person exceeding 1 million won on a single occasion or 3 million won in a fiscal year, regardless of whether they are related to the official’s duties or the pretext for receiving them. Violators face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. In connection with the case, the Supreme Court previously disciplined Judge Kim last August with a three-month suspension and a disciplinary surcharge of 3.47 million won.
While serving at Changwon District Court, Judge Kim presided over the first trial in the Political Funds Act violation case involving political broker Myeong Tae-gyun and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun, and found them not guilty. The panel said, “The money exchanged between former lawmaker Kim and Myeong was in the nature of salary or repayment of debt,” and, finding that it had not been given in exchange for a party nomination, acquitted them of violating the Political Funds Act. However, it sentenced Myeong to six months in prison, suspended for one year, solely on the charge of instigating the concealment of evidence.
The prosecution’s investigation found that Judge Kim received benefits, including golf-trip airfare paid on his behalf, while he was hearing Myeong’s case. However, he was indicted only on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act; no direct connection was established between the travel-expense support and his judicial duties.
[email protected] Lee Chang-hoon Reporter