Allegations have emerged that Kim Sung-soo, a nominee for the Supreme Court, evaded gift tax while residing in a high-priced apartment in Gangnam, Seoul, at a significantly lower deposit than market value.
On September 2, lawmaker Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party claimed to have found evidence suggesting that Kim received considerable financial advantages from relatives, leading to tax evasion, based on an analysis of Kim's asset declarations, residency records, and real estate registration documents.
According to Joo, Kim lived in a 25-pyeong apartment in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, owned by his brother-in-law, from February 2011 to June 2021, paying a deposit of 350 million won. At that time, the actual rental price for that size apartment ranged from 400 million to 430 million won in February 2011 and from 700 million to 1.15 billion won in June 2021, according to the Seoul Real Estate Information Plaza.
In June 2021, Kim moved to a larger 43-pyeong apartment in the prestigious Dogok Lexel complex in Dogok-dong, where he continues to reside. However, despite the significant increase in size, the reported rental deposit remained the same at 350 million won. The actual rental price for the 43-pyeong unit was between 1.2 billion and 2 billion won in June 2021, and is currently estimated at 1.6 billion to 1.9 billion won for the third quarter of this year.
Joo stated, "Living in a Gangnam apartment for 15 years while maintaining a deposit below 350 million won indicates substantial financial benefits received from relatives. The difference from market value is subject to gift tax under the law."
He added, "It is unacceptable for a judge to evade gift tax worth millions of won while enjoying preferential housing. If the nomination proceeds, it will deal a severe blow to the administration's morality."
Previously, President Lee Jae-myung submitted a nomination request to the National Assembly on August 31, stating that Kim's reported assets, including those of his spouse, children, and mother, total approximately 580 million won.
Kim reported a leasehold for the Dogok apartment valued at 350 million won and land in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do, and Gochang, Jeollabuk-do, worth 20.22 million won. His children are believed to hold stocks and deposits worth several hundred million won in companies such as Samsung Electronics and Hanwha Ocean.
In the nomination request, President Lee described Kim as a "traditional judge skilled in practical trial work, possessing extensive legal knowledge and making fair and rational decisions that ensure the public's right to seek justice." He noted that Kim has earned deep trust from litigants by striving for procedural satisfaction and the discovery of substantive truth.
Kim, originally from Hampyeong, graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in law and passed the 34th Judicial Examination, completing his training in the 24th class. He was appointed as a judge at the Gwangju District Court in 1998 and has since served as a presiding judge at the Seoul High Court, an ethics audit officer at the Court Administration Office, and a chief professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
In January of this year, he sentenced defendants involved in a court disturbance following the issuance of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Seok-yeol, calling their actions "unconstitutional acts that obstructed constitutional roles."
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae nominated Kim Sung-soo and Son Bong-ki as candidates to succeed former Justices Roh Tae-ak and Lee Heung-gu on August 18. However, the Blue House has requested a re-nomination for Son, citing procedural completeness.
The ruling and opposition parties are set to form a 13-member special committee for the confirmation hearing, led by the People Power Party, to begin the verification process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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