Kim Seong-soo Apologizes for Controversy Over Brother-in-Law's Apartment

Kim Seong-soo, the nominee for the Supreme Court, officially apologized for allegations that he lived in a brother-in-law's apartment in Gangnam at below-market rates to evade gift taxes, stating, "I am in the process of paying the taxes."
During a National Assembly hearing on September 14, Kim responded to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Chae Hyun-il regarding the gift tax controversy, saying, "I recently learned during the preparation for the hearing that this could be considered a 'deemed gift.' As a legal professional, I believe it is inappropriate not to have known this. I am sorry for not considering it at the time."
Earlier, People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo pointed out that Kim had been living in a 43-pyeong apartment in Dogok-dong, Gangnam, owned by his brother-in-law since June 2021 under a lease agreement of 350 million won. Joo claimed that given the brother-in-law signed a lease for over 1.5 billion won, Kim was living at an unreasonably low price to avoid gift taxes. He also raised concerns that Kim had agreed to pay 800,000 won monthly as rent but had failed to make payments from November 2023 to August 2026.
In response, Kim stated, "At that time, I had no intention of receiving a gift, and I held some of the security deposit claims already paid to my brother-in-law. The overdue 800,000 won has been paid recently, and after consulting with my tax advisor, I am in the process of paying the taxable amount."
Regarding the arrangement with his brother-in-law, Kim explained, "It was suggested by my mother-in-law that we sell the apartment in Yeoksam-dong and move to a larger space together."
The hearing saw clashes between the ruling and opposition parties over sensitive judicial issues. The Democratic Party launched attacks on Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's political neutrality. Lawmaker Chae criticized the Supreme Court for its lukewarm response during the state of emergency and for overturning a ruling related to President Lee Jae-myung's election law case just nine days after it was referred to the full bench. Kim acknowledged that the procedural handling was "somewhat unusual" but refrained from commenting on the appropriateness of the specific case's judgment.
Conversely, the People Power Party focused on the need for a swift trial in the Lee Jae-myung case and the resumption of proceedings. Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo criticized Kim, stating, "You are providing answers that align with the powers that be regarding a trial that has dragged on for two years and two months." Fellow party member Yoon Yong-geun emphasized that if there is no legal basis for halting a criminal trial initiated before the president's inauguration, the trial against Lee Jae-myung should resume immediately.
Kim responded, "The court has suspended the proceedings after completing legal reviews," providing a general answer.
The absence of witnesses and references during the hearing also sparked debate. After the ruling party rejected the inclusion of witnesses such as Kim's brother-in-law, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Hyung-dong criticized, "A hearing without witnesses has become the new normal." In response, independent lawmaker Choi Hyuk-jin remarked, "A wealthy brother-in-law suggested that his brother-in-law stay at his home when he was assigned to Seoul due to high housing prices. The issue is the cost of housing in Seoul. I would do the same." Democratic Party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan added, "In fact, families can live this way. It is just everyday life for the public," defending Kim.