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Representative Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party has raised allegations of gift tax evasion against Supreme Court Justice candidate Kim Sung-soo. Joo stated that Kim has been living in a Seoul Gangnam apartment with a deposit significantly lower than the market rate for an extended period. On the 2nd, Joo's office released the results of an analysis of Kim's property declaration, resident registration data, and land registry documents.
Kim lived in a 25-pyeong apartment owned by his brother-in-law in Yeoksam e-Pyeonhansesang from February 2011 until June 2021, after which he moved to a 43-pyeong apartment in Dogok Lexel in June 2021. He reported a deposit of 350 million won in his property declarations from 2018 to 2025, but according to KB Real Estate, the current market value of the Dogok Lexel apartment's deposit is approximately 1.95 billion won, showing a discrepancy of 1.6 billion won from the reported amount.
Joo argued that Kim may have received financial benefits from related parties, such as his brother-in-law, by living with a deposit lower than the market rate. He stated, "The difference between the market rent and the deposit is subject to gift tax under the law," raising questions about Kim's property declaration.