Lee Sang-hoon (photo · Judicial Research and Training Institute 10th class), former Supreme Court justice, passed away on the 25th after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 69 years old.
The former Supreme Court justice was from Gwangju and graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School and Seoul National University Law School. While attending law school, he passed the 19th Judicial Examination in 1977 and was appointed as a judge in 1983, starting his first assignment at the Incheon District Court.
The former Supreme Court justice served as a judge at the Gwangju District Court, Seoul District Court, Daejeon High Court, and Seoul High Court after working as a research judge at the Supreme Court and a judicial policy research advisor at the Court Administration Office. He then served as chief presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court and later as the chief of the Jeju District Court and the Incheon District Court.
The former Supreme Court justice served as vice administrator of the Court Administration Office under former Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon in 2010. The former Chief Justice recommended the former Supreme Court justice to then-President Lee Myung-bak for appointment as his successor following former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae (then a Supreme Court justice) in 2011.
In 2015, when the Supreme Court found former Unified Progressive Party member Lee Seok-ki guilty of inciting rebellion and violating the National Security Act, sentencing him to nine years in prison, the former Supreme Court justice disagreed, stating that "the crime of inciting rebellion is not established."
In the same year, during the case involving former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's alleged acceptance of illegal political funds amounting to 900 million won, when the Supreme Court ruled that all 900 million won was accepted and sentenced her to two years in prison, the former Supreme Court justice also expressed dissent, saying, "The 300 million won received in the first round can be considered illegal political funds, but the 600 million won received in the second and third rounds cannot be considered illegal political funds."
After retiring, the former Supreme Court justice served as a chair professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and worked as a personal attorney before moving to Kim & Chang Law Firm in 2020. It has been reported that his condition worsened after undergoing surgery following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
The former Supreme Court justice is also known for having a family of legal professionals. His brother, son, and daughter-in-law are all legal professionals. His brother is Lee Kwang-beom, a representative attorney at LKB Law Firm, who served as a special prosecutor in the "suspicions surrounding former President Lee Myung-bak's acquisition of land in Naegok-dong." His son, Lee Hwa-song, and daughter-in-law are both current Director Generals.
He is survived by his wife, Lee Deok-mi, son Lee Hwa-song, daughter Lee Hwa-eun, son-in-law Kim Hyun-seung, and siblings Lee Cheol, Lee Kwang-beom, and Lee Jung-hwa. The mortuary is at Samsung Seoul Hospital Funeral Hall, Room 17. The funeral will be held at 8:30 a.m. on the 27th, with the burial at Seoul Memorial Park for the first part and Yongin Park for the second part.