'Resigned After Asset Disclosure' Former Chief Justice Kim Deok-ju Passes Away

Former Chief Justice Kim Deok-ju Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former Chief Justice Kim Deokju passed away on the 5th due to an illness. He was 90 years old.

Former Chief Justice Kim was born in 1933 in Buyeo, Chungnam, and graduated from Seoul National University Law School. In 1956, he passed the 7th Higher Civil Service Examination in the judicial category.

He served as a judge at the Seoul District Court and Seoul High Court, chief judge at the Seoul Civil District Court and Seoul High Court, chief judge of the Chuncheon District Court, chief judge of the Seoul Civil District Court, and deputy director of the Court Administration Office. From 1981 to 1986, he was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice. After being reappointed in 1988, he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1990 to 1993.

However, under the Kim Young-sam administration, due to the introduction of public disclosure of public officials' assets, he did not complete his full 6-year term and stepped down in September 1993 after 2 years and 10 months. During his time as a lawyer from 1986 to 1988, it was revealed that he purchased real estate worth approximately 900 million won in speculative areas, which drew public criticism.

Afterwards, he worked as the lead attorney at Dongnam Joint Law Office until 2012. During his lifetime, he received the Order of Service Merit, Cheongjo (1986) and the Order of Civil Merit, Mugunghwa Medal (1994).

The funeral hall is set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital Funeral Hall. The funeral procession will be held on the 7th, and the burial site is Cheonan Park Cemetery. The funeral will be conducted as that of a Chief Justice.

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