Uijeongbu scandal

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Uijeongbu scandal
Hangul
의정부 이순호 변호사 사건
Hanja
議政府 李順浩 辯護士 事件
Revised RomanizationUijeongbu I Sunho Byeonhosa Sageon
McCune–ReischauerUijŏngbu I Sunho Pyŏnhosa Sakŏn
Uijeongbu scandal
Hangul
대전 이종기 변호사 사건
Hanja
大田 李宗基 辯護士 事件
Revised RomanizationDaejeon I Jonggi Byeonhosa Sageon
McCune–ReischauerTaejŏn I Chonggi Pyŏnhosa Sakŏn

The Uijeongbu Yi Sun-ho lawyer scandal (Korean의정부 이순호 변호사 사건) was a 1997 judicial scandal in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. For the first time in South Korean judicial history, prosecutors investigated a large number of sitting judges; they found that fifteen District Court judges had received millions of won in payments from attorneys. In the end the judges were not indicted because prosecutors believed the money had no direct connection with their legal duties.[1] However, judges who received sums greater than one million won were obliged to resign, while those who received smaller amounts suffered demotion or disciplinary measures.[2] Along with a 1998 bribery scandal in Daejeon, the Uijeongbu scandal was one of the motivations behind a law, finally passed by the National Assembly in 2000, which attempted to address the issue of special treatment shown to judges who retired to become lawyers in private practise.[3] The scandals also lead to a revision of the code of judicial ethics banning cash thank-you gifts.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Prosecutors pledge prompt investigation into bribery allegations", The Hankyoreh, 2010-04-23, retrieved 2010-06-25
  2. ^ a b "Chief Justice 'Gave Cash Gifts to a Dozen Justices'", Chosun Ilbo, 2007-01-08, archived from the original on January 15, 2007, retrieved 2010-06-25
  3. ^ "전관예우", Encyclopædia Britannica Online (Korea), archived from the original on 2011-07-16, retrieved 2010-06-24

Further reading[edit]