Former Supreme Court Justice Yang Sung-tae to start working as a lawyer by participating in trial arguments as a defense lawyer

Former Chief Justice Yang Seung-tae has officially started his career as a defense attorney by registering as a defense counsel in a criminal case pending at the Supreme Court. He is representing Hanjin Construction as their defense attorney in a case related to two workers who died in a scaffolding collapse accident at a construction site in Busan in 2019. Hanjin Construction was fined 7 million won for violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act. The case is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court after the company filed an appeal. Former Chief Justice Yang also represents the on-site manager of Hanjin Construction who was given a suspended prison sentence for negligent death in the same accident. This marks his first official involvement as a defense attorney after being approved as a lawyer by the Korean Bar Association in May. It is uncommon for a retired Chief Justice to participate as a defense attorney in cases being heard by the Supreme Court. Notably, former Chief Justices Yoon Kwan and Choi Jong-young both worked as legal advisors at law firms after retiring, while former Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon declined to practice law after retirement. Former Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo, who retired in September last year, also chose not to work as a lawyer. Former Chief Justice Yang served as Chief Justice from 2011 to 2017. He was indicted in a judicial corruption case in February 2019 but was acquitted in the first trial in January. His appeal trial is currently ongoing at the Seoul High Court.