Nearly half of judges say they have faced external pressure during trials

Judges prepare to take their seats at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District on Monday for the criminal trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection. Yonhap

Nearly half of Korea's judges say they have experienced external pressure while presiding over trials, according to a survey — the first to examine judges' perceptions of outside interference.

The findings come amid growing concerns over a rise in attacks on the judiciary, from online doxxing and harassment to physical violence, including the recent attacks at the Seoul Western District Court.

As public and politically sensitive cases increasingly fall into the hands of the courts, calls have grown for institutional measures to better protect judicial independence. In response, the National Court Administration has begun drafting measures based on the survey’s findings.

According to the report, Analysis of Unjust External Pressure on Judges and Protective Measures, obtained by the Hankook Ilbo, 47.1 percent of judges surveyed said they had felt outside pressure while handling a specific case.

The survey was commissioned by the National Court Administration and conducted by Seoul National University’s Research and Business Foundation between Nov. 14 and 24 last year, with responses from 690 judges nationwide.

While most respondents said they experienced such pressure less than once a year (42.1 percent) or about once a year (25.6 percent), others said it occurred every six months (14.0 percent) or even monthly in some cases (3.0 percent).

Media and political criticism

Criminal court judges reported especially high levels of pressure, largely because the parties involved in such cases are often public figures or the subjects of intense media scrutiny.

The most commonly cited forms of external pressure included media and political criticism of rulings or judges, online exposure of personal information and malicious comments, public protests targeting specific judges and even physical threats.

Among judges who had experienced such pressure, 56.5 percent said it had directly impacted their ability to carry out trials fairly.

An overwhelming 97.1 percent reported severe stress resulting from external attacks, and many said they had even considered resigning due to concerns that their judicial independence was not being respected.

The National Court Administration commissioned the survey last June to better understand judges’ perceptions and design appropriate protections.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.