Supreme Court data show 189 disciplinary cases for court officials, 10 for judges since 2021
In short
Supreme Court data submitted to the National Assembly show 189 disciplinary actions against court officials nationwide from January 2021 to 31 August 2026, of which 71, or 37.6 percent, were heavy penalties such as dismissal, demotion or suspension. One court clerk at the National Court Administration was dismissed on 30 June 2026 for illegal filming, and drunk driving was the most common reason for discipline overall, at 41 cases. Judges faced 10 disciplinary cases in the same period, including a Daejeon District Court chief judge given a six-month suspension and a 10 million won fine in 2021 over money and valuables.
Why it matters
The figures were released to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, putting the internal discipline of South Korea's courts under parliamentary scrutiny. They set out how often court staff and judges are penalised, and for what, at a time when the Supreme Court chose not to identify the dismissed official. The documents give no indication of broader consequences beyond the disclosure itself.
Key facts
- Supreme Court data sent to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, through the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, cover 189 disciplinary cases against court officials from 1 January 2021 to 31 August 2026. [ 1 ]
- Of those 189 cases, 71 (37.6 percent) were heavy penalties — dismissal, removal, demotion or suspension — with drunk driving the most common reason at 41 cases. [ 1 ]
- A court clerk at the National Court Administration was dismissed on 30 June 2026 for violating the duty to maintain dignity through filming with a camera or similar device. [ 1 ]
- Judges faced 10 disciplinary cases between January 2021 and August 2026, according to the Supreme Court data. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The heaviest judge penalty was a six-month suspension and a 10 million won disciplinary fine given in 2021 to a then chief judge at Daejeon District Court over money and valuables. [ 1 ]
- This year, a Seoul Central District Court chief judge received a three-month salary reduction on 3 February for drunk driving, and a Suwon District Court chief judge received a three-month suspension and a fine of about 3.47 million won on 13 August for receiving golf trip expenses from an acquaintance on trial. [ 1 ]
- Annual disciplinary counts for court officials were 22 in 2021, 30 in 2022, 42 in 2023, 44 in 2024, 28 in 2025 and 23 in 2026 through 31 August. [ 1 ]
- The Supreme Court said it would not release the dismissed official's identity or other personal details because of the risk of identifying the person. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Supreme Court data submitted to the National Assembly record 10 disciplinary cases against judges between January 2021 and August 2026. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Court officials faced 189 disciplinary actions from January 2021 to 31 August 2026; Yonhap reported 71 of them, or 37.6 percent, were heavy penalties, while the Newsis headline described the heavy-discipline share as about four in ten. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Drunk driving was the most common reason for discipline among court officials over the six-year period, at 41 cases. [ 1 ]
- The Supreme Court withheld identifying details of the official dismissed in June, citing the risk of exposing personal information. [ 1 ]
Still unclear
- The exact share of heavy penalties among court officials over the six years. Yonhap reported 71 of 189 cases, or 37.6 percent, while the Newsis headline said about four in ten; the documents do not reconcile the two figures.
- Whether the court clerk dismissed in June over illegal filming faced criminal proceedings, and any further detail of that case. The Supreme Court withheld personal details and the documents give no further information.
- How the 2026 total compares with earlier years. The 2026 count covers only through 31 August, so it is not a full-year figure.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports Supreme Court data showing 189 disciplinary cases against court officials and 10 against judges from January 2021 to 31 August 2026, including the June dismissal of a National Court Administration clerk over illegal filming. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports that judges faced 10 disciplinary cases over six years and that about four in ten disciplinary cases involving court officials were heavy penalties. [ 2 ]