Representative judges from courts nationwide met on Monday to discuss the Democratic Party of Korea's push for judicial reform, following concerns voiced by top judicial officials over proposed bills. The gathering aims to address ways to restore public trust in the judiciary amid legislative debates.
On December 8, 2025, elected representative judges from courts nationwide gathered for a regular meeting at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, just north of Seoul. The session focused on the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push for judicial reform, coming after top judges expressed concerns on Friday about the potential unconstitutionality of two proposed bills.
The bills aim to establish a dedicated special tribunal for handling insurrection cases tied to last year's short-lived imposition of martial law and to introduce a new offense of "legal distortion." Judge Kim Ye-young of the Seoul Southern District Court, who led the meeting, expressed hopes that the discussions would help restore public trust in the judiciary. "Many important bills related to the judicial system are under discussion at the National Assembly and will have a very big impact on the public," Kim said. "(I) hope today's discussions will contribute to recovering trust in the judiciary and improving the judicial system."
The agenda for the week's meeting includes talks on the need for judges to participate in judicial improvements, enhancements to the recommendation system for Supreme Court justice candidates, concerns over revisions to the judge evaluation system, and the National Court Administration's position on the DPK's reform efforts, including the two bills. These discussions underscore the judiciary's emphasis on independence amid recent political tensions.
