Court Files Disciplinary Request for 'Sex Trade Judge' About a Month After Incident Occurred

Police Continue Criticism of Criminal Trials Despite 'Investigation Start Notification'
Judicial Administration Office: "Need to Minimize Procedural Confusion Just Before Recess"

The court has filed disciplinary charges against a sitting judge who was booked on suspicion of engaging in prostitution while on a work-related business trip to Seoul.

The Supreme Court's Judicial Administration Office announced on the 31st that the court to which Judge Lee (42) belongs has filed disciplinary charges against him.

According to the Administration Office, the court was notified by the police on the 17th of this month about the commencement of an investigation, became aware of the incident and the suspect facts, and immediately after the notification, ensured that Judge Lee would not handle criminal trial duties starting from August, after the court recess. From August, Judge Lee is scheduled to be assigned to civil application duties. Courts nationwide will be on summer recess from the 24th of this month until the 4th of next month, during which trials will not be conducted except for some cases.

Regarding criticism that Judge Lee was not immediately removed from scheduled trials even after the court received the police's notice of investigation commencement, the Judicial Administration Office explained, "The basic fact-finding investigation process takes time, and it was necessary to minimize procedural confusion caused by urgent schedule changes just before the recess," adding, "The special nature of criminal cases, where schedule changes are difficult, was taken into consideration."

Judge Lee is suspected of paying 150,000 won to Ms. A, a woman in her 30s whom he met through a conditional meeting application, for prostitution at a hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, around 4 p.m. on the 22nd of last month (violation of the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Prostitution). The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office recently received the case from the police and is currently investigating it.

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