A sitting presiding judge, indicted on charges of receiving 30 million won worth of money and valuables from a high school alumnus lawyer in exchange for providing favors related to trials, denied the charges during the first hearing.

The 35th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Baek Dae-hyun) held the first trial for the presiding judge, surnamed Kim, who is charged with bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, on July 16.

The high school alumnus lawyer, surnamed Jeong, who was also indicted on charges including violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, appeared in court alongside him.

Judge Kim's legal team denied the charges, stating, "The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has pursued an excessive indictment based on conjecture and speculation."

Lawyer Jeong's defense counsel also denied all the charges in the indictment.

Lawyer Jeong argued, "The charges are truly absurd," adding, "I have never paid a single won to Judge Kim, nor have I ever provided any economic benefits."

The court decided to continue the trial proceedings, including the organization of opinions on evidence, on September 3.

Judge Kim is accused of receiving 33 million won in money and valuables in exchange for granting favorable sentence reductions to defendants in cases handled by his high school senior, Lawyer Jeong, while serving as a presiding judge for criminal appeals at the Jeonju District Court from 2023 to 2025.

The CIO indicted Judge Kim and Lawyer Jeong without detention last May, concluding that Judge Kim had reduced the sentences in 17 out of 21 appellate cases handled by Lawyer Jeong's law firm.

(Photo: Yonhap News)