Seoul: The presiding judge of former first lady Kim Keon Hee's appeals trial on corruption charges was found dead near a Seoul court early Wednesday, officials said. Police discovered judge Shin Jong-o's body on a flower bed near the Seoul High Court compound in southern Seoul at around 1 a.m. after receiving a report about an hour earlier.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a suicide note was apparently found at the scene, and police are investigating the exact cause of his death, including the possibility of Shin jumping to his death. Shin was overseeing the appellate trial of Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, at the Seoul High Court. This followed her conviction by a lower court in January.

Last month, the appellate court increased Kim's sentence to four years from an initial 20 months in prison. She was found partially guilty of involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme and guilty of accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church.