Chief Judge Denies Charges Over Receiving 'Jjaktung' Golf Clubs: "Returned Them and No Quid Pro Quo"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A sitting chief judge, who was indicted on charges including receiving counterfeit golf clubs from a businessman he knew, has completely denied the allegations in court.

A (53), the chief judge who was indicted without detention on charges of bribery mediation and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act, stated through his lawyer at the first trial held on the 26th at the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 14 (Chief Judge Ryu Kyung-jin), "A significant part of the background of the prosecution's allegations is not true."

His lawyer argued, "The very crude counterfeit golf clubs were loaded into the vehicle with the intention of 'trying them out for practice' and were returned immediately after expressing the intention to do so," adding, "There was no solicitation or quid pro quo."

On the same day in court, two accomplices, including B (53), a mart distributor who was indicted for giving counterfeit golf clubs and other items to Chief Judge A (bribery offering, etc.), were also tried together.

B's lawyer also claimed innocence, stating, "There was no bribery related to official duties."

Chief Judge A was indicted on charges of receiving goods worth a total of 779,000 won, including a counterfeit golf club set worth 520,000 won and a fruit box worth 250,000 won, from B at a food material mart parking lot in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, on February 22, 2019.

He is also accused of accessing the court's case search system in 2018 at B's request to check whether B would be detained in court during the sentencing of a fraud case.

According to the prosecution, on the day of B's sentencing trial, Chief Judge A accessed the court's case search system and replied to B, "Don't worry, you will avoid detention in court, so just go."

It is known that Chief Judge A maintained a close relationship with B after being introduced to him by a childhood friend in 2010.

The prosecution explained, "Chief Judge A was aware of B's criminal record, including several prison sentences related to various fraud cases involving mart operations, yet he introduced a junior lawyer to B and maintained close mutual assistance."

They further argued in court that "When B was acquitted in the appeal trial of the fraud case, he gave golf clubs and other items to Chief Judge A as a token of gratitude, and Chief Judge A was explicitly or implicitly aware of such solicitation."

Earlier, the Supreme Court Judicial Disciplinary Committee imposed a three-month salary reduction and a disciplinary fine of about one million won on Chief Judge A in June last year for violating the duty to maintain dignity. Although the golf clubs initially received by Chief Judge A were known to be worth tens of millions of won, the appraisal results determined them to be 'fake.'

The prosecution, which took over the case from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, conducted a search and seizure of the Supreme Court Judicial Administration Office in August last year and secured disciplinary-related documents for investigation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.