A recent bill to increase South Korea's Supreme Court justices from 14 to 26 has sparked concerns about the potential negative impact on lower court capacities and the independence of judicial interpretations.
On the 28th, the National Assembly passed a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices in South Korea from 14 to 26, marking the first major change in the Supreme Court composition since 1987. The ruling Democratic Party anticipates that this increase will gradually alleviate the backlog of appeals cases. In 2024, the anticipated number of Supreme Court cases, excluding election matters, is projected to be 41,732, resulting in an average of 3,478 cases per justice (excluding the Supreme Court Chief Justice and the Administrative Office of the Court head). However, concerns have been raised about the potential 'balloon effect' that could undermine the capacity of lower court judges, as the concentration of experienced judges at the Supreme Court might lead to a lack of judicial resources in the first and second instances.
