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Supreme Court chief justice urges reconsideration of sweeping legal changes

Published: 03 Mar. 2026, 16:17 Updated: 03 Mar. 2026, 17:56

Chief Justice Jo Hee-de speaks to reporters at the Supreme Court building in southern Seoul on March 3. [NEWS1]

Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de on Tuesday urged lawmakers to reconsider recently passed judicial reform bills, cautioning that the sudden and sweeping changes should be carefully examined to determine whether they "truly help the people" or pose a risk to the integrity of the judiciary.

“It is not desirable to dismantle our system or target individual judges over their rulings,” Jo told reporters on his way to work. "There is no perfect system in the world, and we must improve what needs improvement with public consensus. In that sense, I fully respect the National Assembly’s legislative activities."

“However, I earnestly ask lawmakers to reconsider until the end whether this sudden and sweeping change will truly help the people or whether it contains elements that could cause harm."

Jo’s comments refer to several bills the Democratic Party (DP) passed as part of judicial reform efforts, including legislation criminalizing "the distortion of law," a bill to allow individuals to file challenges to Supreme Court rulings with the Constitutional Court and a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices.

The distortion of law bill cleared the National Assembly on Thursday and allows prosecutors to seek criminal punishment against judges or prosecutors accused of intentionally misapplying the law in a case, a provision that has raised concerns that judges will be under undue scrutiny that may affect judicial independence.

Lawmakers also approved the constitutional complaint bill on Friday, allowing individuals to challenge Supreme Court rulings by filing complaints with the Constitutional Court, a move critics describe as introducing a de facto fourth trial level — instead of the current three-tier system that ends with the Supreme Court. The bill to expand the Supreme Court was passed on Saturday and increases the number of justices from 14 to 26, a move that would allow President Lee Jae Myung to appoint a significant number of additional justices in a short period of time, potentially reshaping the court’s composition and influencing how future cases are decided.

Jo also pushed back against the DP's claim that major changes to the judicial system are necessary to address increasingly negative public sentiment.

“Some argue that judicial reform is necessary because public trust in the courts remains low,” Jo said. “However, many countries around the world, and even international organizations and institutions, seek to learn from the Korean judiciary and actively request cooperation."

Chief Justice Jo Hee-de speaks to reporters at the Supreme Court building in southern Seoul on March 3. [YONHAP]

“Gallup surveys show that trust in the courts stands at around 35 percent in the United States, while it reaches 47 percent in Korea. We must work to earn greater trust, but we also need to look at objective indicators carefully.”

He added that the World Bank gives Korea high marks for its civil justice system and that the World Justice Project ranked Korea 19th among more than 140 countries in its 2024 global survey measuring how well countries uphold the law.

“When evaluating any system, it is desirable to acknowledge its strengths objectively and then identify and improve shortcomings,” Jo said. “I ask the public to consider carefully whether it is not desirable to disparage our system groundlessly or single out individual judges for their rulings."

The Supreme Court building in southern Seoul [YONHAP]

“As we have done so far, the Supreme Court will convey what it can and do its best until the end."

Jo did not give a direct answer when asked whether he intended to request that the president veto the bills.

“I think the public should wait a little longer and recognize that we are making efforts when necessary,” Jo said. “Of course, we will continue to improve and correct any shortcomings.”

Asked why he had yet to recommend a successor to Justice Roh Tae-ak, who retired Tuesday after completing his six-year term, Cho said it is because the matter requires "consultation and it is difficult for the Supreme Court to speak unilaterally.”

Under the current system, the chief justice selects one nominee from four candidates recommended by the committee. The president then submits the nominee to the National Assembly for confirmation, after which lawmakers hold a hearing and a plenary vote before the president makes the final appointment.

Supreme Court Justice Roh Tae-ak delivers a retirement speech at the Supreme Court building in southern Seoul on March 3. [YONHAP]

The lack of a successor leaves one seat vacant on the Supreme Court. Legal sources speculate that coordination between the Supreme Court and the Blue House has not progressed smoothly.

Among the four candidates recommended by the committee responsible for recommendations on Jan. 21, the Blue House and the Supreme Court reportedly prefer different candidates.

The four nominees include Kim Min-ki, a judge at the Seoul High Court; Park Soon-young, also a Seoul High Court judge; Son Bong-gi, a chief judge at the Daegu District Court; and Yoon Sung-sik, a chief judge at the Seoul High Court.

"We are continuing the consultations," Jo said when asked about any friction in the nomination process.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI SEO-IN [[email protected]]