[Invest&Law] 571 Judges Leave the Courts in 7 Years

Excluding Mandatory Retirements, Average Career Length 20 Years
255 Elite Judges, Nearly Half of All Departures
Concerns Grow Over "Serious Loss of Core Personnel"
350 Judges Resigned Under Former Chief Justice Yang Sungtae
419 Judges Left During Kim Myeongsoo's Tenure
87% (497 Judges) Began Private Practice as Attorneys

From September 2017 to February 2025, a total of 571 judges (excluding those who retired due to reaching the mandatory retirement age) left the courts over a period of seven years and six months. This means that approximately 80 judges resigned each year. On average, these judges had 20 years of experience. Notably, 255 of them were considered "elite" judges within the judiciary, including High Court judges, Supreme Court research judges, and policy advisors at the National Court Administration. This group accounted for about half (45%) of all resignations. Amid growing concerns over the increasing loss of core personnel from the judiciary, Law Times conducted a comprehensive survey of all 571 judges who left the courts during this period.

During the six years under former Chief Justice Yang Sungtae, a total of 350 judges resigned, averaging 58 judges leaving the courts per year. However, after former Chief Justice Kim Myeongsoo took office in 2017, the number of resignations increased. Over six years, a total of 419 judges left the judiciary, with an annual average of 70 judges resigning (excluding Supreme Court justices, those who retired at the mandatory age, and dedicated judges).

According to data from the Judicial Administration Advisory Committee, the number of judges resigning each year remained in the 50s to 60s from 2013, but sharply increased to the 70s to 90s starting in 2021. The average age at the time of resignation was in the early 50s. The annual figures were as follows: 66 judges (average age 49.6) in 2018; 53 judges (51.3) in 2019; 68 judges (47.9) in 2020; 89 judges (50.4) in 2021; 85 judges (50.4) in 2022; 78 judges (53) in 2023; and 92 judges (51.5) in 2024.

Since 2022, there has been a trend of increasing numbers of judges retiring at the mandatory age. At the same time, the proportion of judges resigning before reaching the mandatory retirement age has also remained high. The annual rates of mid-career resignations were as follows: 97% (64 judges) in 2018; 88.7% (47 judges) in 2019; 95.6% (65 judges) in 2020; 100% (89 judges) in 2021; 92.9% (79 judges) in 2022; 87.2% (68 judges) in 2023; and 85.9% (79 judges) in 2024. Each year, 80% to 90% of resignations were mid-career departures.

Since 2018, 459 judges under the age of 60 have resigned before reaching the mandatory retirement age. The annual breakdown is as follows: 62 in 2018; 43 in 2019; 63 in 2020; 80 in 2021; 76 in 2022; 60 in 2023; and 75 in 2024. In this comprehensive survey of retired judges, those who were appointed as Chief Justice, Supreme Court justices, Constitutional Court justices, dedicated judges, deceased judges, as well as those appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Audit and Inspection or Secretary General of the National Election Commission, were excluded. Those who retired at the mandatory age were also excluded. The 2024-2025 survey was based on regular personnel retirements.

79 Judges Joined Kim & Chang, 27 Joined Gwangjang

Of the 571 judges who left the courts, 497 (87%) immediately began practicing as attorneys after retirement. The majority of these former judges joined large law firms. A total of 229 judges joined 10 major law firms, including Kim & Chang, Bae, Kim & Lee, Yulchon, Shin & Kim, Lee & Ko, HwaWoo, Jipyung, Barun, DR&AJU, and Dongin. Five judges were employed in corporate legal departments, while 31 moved into academia as law school professors or similar positions. The average age of the 571 retired judges at the time of resignation was 51.22 years.

Among the retired judges, 15.8% (79 judges) chose Kim & Chang. This means that more than one out of every ten retirees joined Kim & Chang. Kim & Chang recruited around 10 former judges each year. It is said that many judges who decide to leave the judiciary consider Kim & Chang as their top choice. One of the buildings used by Kim & Chang in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is mainly occupied by former judges, and the atmosphere is reportedly not much different from that of the courts. Next, 27 judges moved to Bae, Kim & Lee. This was followed by 21 judges joining Shin & Kim, and 20 joining Lee & Ko. HwaWoo recruited 17, Dongin 16, Yulchon and Barun each recruited 15, DR&AJU 12, and Jipyung 10 former judges.

Park Suyeon, Han Suhyeon, An Hyeon, Park Suhyeon, reporters for Law Times

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.