Drawing on 27 years on the bench and a career of research in legal psychology, I pursue justice free of wrongful convictions and advocacy that reaches the truth of each case.
Sangjoon Kim graduated from Seoul National University College of Law and passed the 25th National Judicial Examination. He served as a judge for 27 years (1989–2016), holding positions including Presiding Judge of the Busan District Court, the Seoul Administrative Court, the Daejeon High Court, and the Seoul High Court; Director General of the Judicial Policy Office at the National Court Administration; and Senior Professor at the Judicial Research & Training Institute.
As an expert member of the Judicial Reform Committee, he led the introduction of Korea’s citizen-participation (jury) trial system and ran the Law & Psychology Forum, pioneering the scientific study of judicial fact-finding and decision-making in Korea. He holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School and a doctorate in law from Seoul National University, and completed doctoral coursework in legal psychology at Hallym University.
After serving as managing partner of KS&Partners and practicing at a Seoul law firm, he founded KSNP Law Office in 2024, where he handles criminal and administrative matters while teaching at Seoul National University, Yonsei Law School, and Ewha Womans University.
Judge — Seoul Civil District Court, Seoul Family Court, Jeju District Court, Gwangju High Court (Jeju Branch); Personnel Director, National Court Administration; Judge, Seoul High Court
Presiding Judge, Busan District Court · Research Judge, Supreme Court of Korea · Expert Member, Judicial Reform Committee · Director, Litigation Bureau, National Court Administration
Presiding Judge, Seoul Administrative Court & Daejeon High Court · Director General, Judicial Policy Office · Senior Professor, Judicial Research & Training Institute
Presiding Judge, Seoul High Court (civil & criminal divisions) — retired in February 2016 after 27 years of judicial service
Private practice (2016) · Managing Partner, KS&Partners (2017) · Founded KSNP Law Office (2024–present) · Arbitrator, Korean Commercial Arbitration Board · Non-Standing Commissioner, Korea Fair Trade Commission · Order of Service Merit
무죄판결과 법관의 사실인정 · Kyungin · SNU Legal Studies Series 49
재판과 법관의 의사결정 · Supreme Court of Korea
세계의 배심제도 · Nanam
미국 배심재판 제도의 연구 · Ewha Womans University Press
가처분의 연구 · Pakyoungsa
A long-running column of 100+ essays on legal psychology, wrongful convictions, criminal trials, film, and everyday life.
Read a representative essay →Relay essay series written twice — as a sitting judge (2006) and again upon entering private practice (2016).
Read a representative essay →Essays on judging and the inner life of judges, including “Are Judges Happy?”; joined a 2018 investigative feature on judicial gender bias.
Read “Are Judges Happy?” →A video work in which the author narrates his 2022 Maeil Business essay of the same title.
Read the essay →Watch the video (YouTube) →For case consultations, speaking engagements, or writing inquiries, please reach out by email or through the office.