Korea Supreme Court justice vacancy prolonged, criminal appeal times rise
In short
Criminal appeals at South Korea's Supreme Court are taking about a month longer, with average processing at 3.4 months as of June this year, as the court absorbs rising filings and a prolonged vacancy of a Supreme Court justice. Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae has refused the Blue House's request to resubmit the nomination of candidate Son Bong-ki, whom President Lee Jae-myung has declined to appoint, leaving the seat unfilled.
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A prolonged vacancy of a Supreme Court justice in South Korea has coincided with longer waits for criminal appeals, according to reports on Oct. 4 by Korea Economic Daily, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. Korea Economic Daily and Newsis said the handling of criminal appeals had risen by about a month; Dong-A Ilbo put the average processing time at 3.4 months as of June this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Citing data the Supreme Court's Court Administration Office submitted to the office of Justice Party lawmaker Son Sol, Dong-A Ilbo reported that the average processing time for criminal panel appeals was 2.6–3 months from 2016 to 2021, fell to 2.5–2.6 months from 2022 through last year, and rose to 3.4 months as of June. Criminal panel appeal filings grew from 20,102 in 2023 to 24,889 in 2024 and 34,272 last year, with 16,216 received in the first six months of this year. The outlet said the lengthening resulted both from the growth in filings and from the prolonged vacancy, which increases the caseload carried by each justice. [ 3 ]
The vacancy stems from a dispute over the first Supreme Court justice appointment of the Lee Jae-myung government. Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae refused the Blue House's request to resubmit the nomination of candidate Son Bong-ki, whom President Lee Jae-myung has declined to appoint, Korea Economic Daily reported. The Blue House said the president's intent was clearly contained in the official document demanding a new nomination, said Cho was misrepresenting the reasons, and argued his position would nullify the president's appointment power. The outlet described the exchange as a head-on clash that could draw out the vacancy. [ 1 ]
Korea Economic Daily also reported that a Supreme Court justice receives close to 200 million won a year when base salary, special duty expenses and incentives are combined, and that special duty expenses account for more than 40% of the total. Its text on what the Supreme Court has said about disclosing how that money is spent was cut off. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
Longer processing means defendants in criminal cases wait longer for a final ruling, and the vacancy leaves the Lee Jae-myung government without its first Supreme Court justice appointment. Dong-A Ilbo's data indicate the caseload carried per justice is growing, and the documents give no indication of when the seat will be filled.
Key facts
- Criminal panel appeals at the Supreme Court took an average of 3.4 months as of June this year, up from 2.5–2.6 months in 2022 through last year and 2.6–3 months from 2016 to 2021. [ 3 ]
- Criminal panel appeal filings rose from 20,102 in 2023 to 24,889 in 2024 and 34,272 last year, with 16,216 received in the first six months of this year. [ 3 ]
- The figures come from Supreme Court Court Administration Office data submitted to the office of Justice Party lawmaker Son Sol of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. [ 3 ]
- Korea Economic Daily and Newsis reported that the prolonged vacancy of a Supreme Court justice has added about a month to the handling of criminal appeals. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae refused the Blue House's request to resubmit the nomination of Supreme Court justice candidate Son Bong-ki, whom President Lee Jae-myung has declined to appoint. [ 1 ]
- The Blue House said the president's intent was clearly stated in the document demanding a new nomination, said Cho was misrepresenting the reasons, and argued his position would nullify the president's appointment power. [ 1 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reported that a Supreme Court justice receives close to 200 million won a year including base salary, special duty expenses and incentives, with special duty expenses accounting for more than 40% of the total. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- When the vacant Supreme Court justice seat will be filled. Korea Economic Daily reports the standoff between Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and the Blue House and says the vacancy could be prolonged, but the documents give no date or resolution.
- Whether the longer appeal processing is caused primarily by the justice vacancy. Dong-A Ilbo says the increase is analysed as resulting from both more filings and the prolonged vacancy, without isolating the vacancy's effect.
- The date of the Blue House statement about the resubmission request. Korea Economic Daily dates the statement to “the 23rd” without giving a month.
- What the Supreme Court has said about disclosing how justices' special duty expenses are spent. The Korea Economic Daily passage on the subject is cut off mid-sentence.
- Details of the appointment dispute beyond the Blue House's position. Only Korea Economic Daily among the documents reports on the refusal to resubmit the nomination and the Blue House response.
- Supreme Court Court Administration Office data show criminal appeal filings rising from 20,102 in 2023 to 34,272 last year, and average processing time at 3.4 months as of June this year. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Korea Economic Daily reports that the prolonged vacancy of a Supreme Court justice has added about a month to criminal appeal handling, and that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and the Blue House are in a head-on clash over the appointment. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports in its headline that the Supreme Court justice vacancy is prolonged and that criminal appeal processing has risen by about a month. [ 2 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports court data showing average criminal panel appeal processing of 3.4 months as of June this year, up from 2.5–2.6 months in 2022 through last year. [ 3 ]