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National Assembly passes DP's bill to increase number of Supreme Court justices

Published: 01 Mar. 2026, 19:02

Lawmakers pass a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices at a plenary session of the National Assembly in western Seoul on Feb. 28. [YONHAP]

Led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), the National Assembly on Saturday passed a bill to nearly double the number of justices at the top court.

Following the passage of the bill in a 173-73 vote, the number of Supreme Court justices will jump from the current 14 to 26 over a three-year period, starting in 2028, two years after promulgation.

President Lee Jae Myung will appoint 22 of 26 justices on his watch — 12 new justices and 10 justices to replace those whose terms will end during Lee's presidency.

The bill was one of three judicial reform bills the ruling party pushed to pass in February. Another bill, which criminalizes “legal distortion,” passed the National Assembly on Thursday, and the third bill, which allows the Constitutional Court to review lower court rulings, followed Friday after a filibuster by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

The bill on raising the number of Supreme Court justices was met with strong objection from the PPP, which accused the DP of attempting to undermine the independence of the judiciary and filling the courts with justices favorable to the ruling camp.

The DP countered that all three reform bills will better protect people's rights.

The PPP has also claimed the bills are intended to shield Lee from his five criminal trials, which have been suspended following his presidential election last year.

PPP lawmakers showed up wearing black masks and held up signs that read, “Destruction of Judiciary, Completion of Dictatorship,” in protest.

Yonhap