Review of President Lee’s Pledges Including the Bill to Increase Supreme Court Justices
Jeong Visits Taego Order Leader Following Jogye Order Chief
The Special Committee on Judicial Reform of the Democratic Party of Korea will be launched on August 12. Under the leadership of Jeong Chungrae, the Democratic Party is accelerating its efforts to fulfill its pledges for prosecutorial, judicial, and media reform before the Chuseok holiday. At the same time, Jeong Chungrae, the party leader, has been meeting directly with religious leaders to garner public support and momentum for the reforms.
The Democratic Party’s People-Centered Judicial Reform Special Committee will hold its inaugural ceremony and first meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido this afternoon. The committee will be chaired by Baek Hyeryeon, a three-term lawmaker and former prosecutor, with Jeon Yonggi serving as vice chair. Committee members include Lee Geontae (secretary), Kim Gipyo, Kim Namhee, Kim Sangwook, Park Jihye, Yeom Taeyoung, and Jo Incheol, all members of the Democratic Party. Civilian policy advisors such as Sung Changik, attorney at Jipyung Law Firm and former director of the Judicial Center of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, as well as Kim Jaeyoon, dean of Konkuk University Law School, will also participate.
Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th. 2025.8.6 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
The special committee is expected to address judicial reform agendas that were part of President Lee Jaemyung’s presidential campaign pledges. These pledges include increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, expanding the scope of public access to lower court rulings, strengthening and broadening the requirements for excluding citizen participation trials, and expanding the recruitment and first-instance court assignments of judicial researchers.
Of particular note is the bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices (an amendment to the Court Organization Act). This proposal seeks to increase the current number of justices, which is 14 including the Chief Justice, so that the Supreme Court can review cases in greater depth. A representative from Baek Hyeryeon’s office explained that the special committee plans to hold closed-door meetings to discuss not only the presidential campaign pledges but also additional judicial reform measures demanded by the public, with the aim of producing a final proposal after gathering expert opinions and public feedback.
Since taking office, Jeong Chungrae has pledged to complete three major reforms?prosecutorial, judicial, and media?before Chuseok, launching special committees for each area in succession. The first to be launched, on August 6, was the Special Committee on Prosecutorial Normalization (prosecutorial reform), led by Min Hyungbae, which is discussing the four prosecutorial reform bills (the Public Prosecution Office Act, the Central Investigation Agency Act, the National Investigation Headquarters Act, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act). The Special Committee on Media Reform, chaired by Choi Minhee, is scheduled to launch on August 14.
As the reform phase begins in earnest, Jeong Chungrae has visited religious leaders for two consecutive days, meeting with Jinwoo, the head of the Jogye Order, the previous day, and Sangjin, the head of the Taego Order, on this day. He also plans to meet with Christian and other religious leaders in succession on August 14.
This is seen as an effort to prevent a loss of reform momentum and declining support rates, amid recent negative developments such as suspicions of lawmaker Lee Choonseok’s stock trading under borrowed names, controversy over the stock transfer income tax, and backlash against pardons and reinstatements on Liberation Day.
On August 5, immediately after reports surfaced regarding Lee Choonseok’s alleged stock trading under borrowed names, the Democratic Party expelled him the next day. At the party-government consultative meeting held on August 10, the party also proposed to the government to restore the major shareholder threshold for the stock transfer income tax to 5 billion won, making every effort to defend its approval ratings.
During his meeting with Jinwoo the previous day, Jeong Chungrae stated, "With respect for the historical spirit of national defense Buddhism, I will carry out my duties as party leader with the determination to protect the country."
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