NCA to be shut down amid 'judiciary abuse' scandal

By Lee Suh-yoon

The administrative body of the country's judicial branch is expected to be shut down amid allegations it played a central role in an abuse of power scandal involving former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae.

An independent reform committee has advised incumbent Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su to replace the National Court Administration (NCA) with a weaker body with narrower functions.

The NCA had exercised considerable power, monopolizing the decision-making process in issues related to the judiciary system's budget allocation, personnel assignments and policy planning.

“Tasks involving policymaking and research will have to be separated from the administrative body,” the committee said in its proposal to Kim.

The new administrative office should be “physically relocated” outside the Supreme Court to prevent possible conflicts of interest in the near future, the proposal added.

It should not be led by a member of the judiciary – as the NCA was – but managed by professional administrative personnel.

The proposal also calls for the creation of a special committee with non-judiciary members to keep the chief justice's administrative powers in check. If formed, the committee will take over key functions such as personnel assignments.

The NCA came under fire earlier this year after an internal report revealed documents detailing Yang's plan to make a deal with Cheong Wa Dae offering verdicts favorable to the government in high-profile and politically sensitive cases, in exchange for the creation of another general court of appeals.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office started investigating the allegations last month.

The prosecution acquired computer hard disks belonging to Yang and former NCA head Park Byung-dae recently.

The hard disks – which could serve as key evidence – were badly damaged after Yang's term ended in 2017. The prosecution is currently trying to restore the data.