Seoul: Anti-corruption investigators have indicted Jee Kui-youn, a judge renowned for sentencing former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment, on allegations of corruption. The charges stem from accusations that he accepted services worth 4.09 million won (US$3,000) at an upscale bar in Seoul's Cheongdam neighborhood in August 2023, with the expenses covered by two lawyers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the investigation was conducted by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). Under the anti-graft law, accepting gifts or services exceeding 1 million won per instance is punishable for public officials, regardless of any perceived connection to their duties. However, after scrutinizing the situation, the CIO decided not to press bribery charges, as they found that the services were not linked to trial favors, and the court bench that Jee was part of did not handle any cases related to the involved lawyers at the time.

Further inquiries revealed another instance in September 2024 where Jee received services at the same bar. However, with services valued at 4.16 million won for five individuals, this incident did not meet the anti-graft law's criteria, and no charges were pursued.

The case gained significant attention when the allegations emerged in May 2025, primarily due to Jee's role as the presiding judge in Yoon's insurrection trial. In February, Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through a martial law declaration in 2024. The verdict is currently under the scrutiny of an appeals court.