Three Jeju Chief Judges Drink During Working Hours and Cause Disturbance at Karaoke...Chief Judge Says "I Feel Responsible"

Dispute with Karaoke Owner During Working Hours Leads to Police Dispatch
Court Issues Warning for "Violation of Duty to Maintain Dignity"

It was belatedly revealed that three chief judges from Jeju District Court drank alcohol during working hours and caused a disturbance at a karaoke bar, prompting a police dispatch. Among them, one judge is reportedly under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials due to allegations of conducting an unlawful trial.

Drinking During Working Hours Followed by Karaoke Disturbance...Police Dispatched

It has been confirmed that three chief judges of Jeju District Court drank alcohol during working hours and caused a situation where the police were dispatched due to a dispute with a karaoke business owner. Image for illustrative purposes only and unrelated to the article. Getty Images Bank

According to Assemblywoman Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea and Jeju District Court on September 30, three chief judges and one administrative officer from Jeju District Court drank alcohol at a restaurant in Jeju City during the daytime on June 28 of last year, then moved to a karaoke bar. The strong smell of alcohol from the group led the business owner to ask them to leave, but they refused, resulting in a disturbance that ultimately required police intervention. It was later found that after the incident, they moved to another karaoke bar.

The Court Audit Committee stated regarding this matter, "We recommend that the chief judge of Jeju District Court issue a stern warning," and decided on a 'warning' as disciplinary action. Lee Heungkwon, Chief Judge of Jeju District Court, issued a statement that day, expressing regret: "As the chief judge, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for causing public concern due to the actions of judges affiliated with Jeju District Court." He added, "This incident constitutes a violation of the duty of diligence and the obligation to maintain dignity as a judge. Based on the investigation results in accordance with laws and procedures, our court has issued a strict caution to the judges involved, urging them to make every effort to prevent recurrence."

Meanwhile, it was reported that one of the chief judges involved in the incident was recently reported to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials by a civic group over suspicions of unlawful trial procedures. The controversial case involved two progressive group activists who were prosecuted for blocking the transfer vehicle of a National Security Act suspect and injuring police officers. In the first trial, each was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, but the appellate court increased the sentence to one year and eight months in prison. The appellate court, citing concerns of flight risk, immediately detained the activists in the courtroom without reaching a consensus with the associate judge during the first hearing, raising suspicions of an unlawful trial.

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