Judges meet for 3rd time to discuss judicial reform

By Lee Kyung-min

About 100 judges nationwide attended a meeting, Monday, to discuss measures of judicial reform. It was the last meeting before Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae resigns later this month.

At the meeting, which began at 10:20 a.m. at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, judges discussed how to reform the current seniority-based promotion of judges to vice-ministerial level posts within High Courts nationwide.

Many judges have criticized the system under which only a handful of judges chosen by the chief justice are pressured to follow the political inclinations of their superior.

During the six-year term, the Supreme Court chief justice has largely been affected by the ideological inclination of a sitting or former president that appointed him (or her) to the post.

The meeting came a day ahead of the National Assembly confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Kim Meong-su, 58.

Kim, who late last month was tapped by President Moon Jae-in for the post, has openly criticized the Office of Court Administration (OCA) under the Supreme Court.

Kim slammed the OCA in March for having failed to clarify an allegation that it created a so-called “blacklist of judges” to punish those for voicing criticism against the judicial administration and Yang.

Expectations have grown that if Kim is confirmed by the National Assembly, he will appoint a new head of OCA, thereby allowing the top judicial administrative body to begin a new investigation into the blacklist allegation.

OCA oversees judicial affairs including personnel affairs, budget allocation, accounting, maintenance of judicial affairs-related buildings including courthouses and infrastructure.