National Judges' Representative Meeting Convenes... Will They Announce a Stance on Ruling Party's Judicial Reform After National Court Presidents' Meeting?

Agenda Includes Changes to Judicial Personnel and Evaluation Systems
108 Out of 126 Representatives Present
Official Statement Requires Majority Approval of Attending Judges

The National Judges' Representative Meeting, where judicial representatives from across the country gathered on December 8 to discuss the 'judicial reform' being promoted by the ruling party, convened on December 8.

On the 8th, Judge Kim Yeyeong and other judicial representatives attending the National Judges' Representative Meeting held at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, are performing the national ceremony before the start of the meeting. 2025.12.08 Photo by Dongju Yoon

The National Judges' Representative Meeting began its regular session for the second half of 2025 at around 10:00 a.m. at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. Of the 126 judicial representatives from courts nationwide, 84 attended, meeting the quorum. As of 10:20 a.m., 108 representatives were present.

In her opening remarks, Kim Yeyeong, Chief Judge of the Seoul Southern District Court and chairperson of the meeting, stated, "Various bills regarding the judicial system are under discussion in the National Assembly, and their impact on the public is significant." She added, "It is also our duty to communicate to the public in detail the opinions that stem from judges' expertise and practical experience in trials."

She continued, "Judges are not a monolith. Judges' perspectives are highly diverse, and we anticipate intense debate today as well. I believe that all judges should not only respect the discussions taking place in political circles, academia, and civil society, but also consider the opinions of the courts responsible for trials, so that institutional improvements can best meet the public's demands and expectations."

The National Judges' Representative Meeting is a body composed of representative judges elected from each court, which expresses opinions or makes recommendations regarding judicial administration and judicial independence.

The agenda items submitted at the meeting included two main topics: one proposed by the Trial System Subcommittee on judicial system reform, and another regarding changes to the judicial personnel and evaluation system. The proposal from the Trial System Subcommittee emphasized that the expectations and demands of the public, as well as judges' opinions, should be adequately reflected in discussions on judicial reform. The proposal from the Judicial Personnel System Subcommittee expressed concerns about the hasty push to change the judicial evaluation system.

Additionally, the Judges' Representative Meeting plans to hear the opinions of the Court Administration Office regarding the ongoing discussions on the abolition of the Court Administration Office and the establishment of a Judicial Administration Committee, the creation of a special court for insurrection cases, and the introduction of a law on judicial distortion.

For any agenda item submitted at the meeting to be officially adopted as a position, it must be approved by a majority of the judicial representatives present. If the quorum is not met, the agenda item is rejected.

Previously, at the regular meeting of the National Court Presidents' Meeting held on December 5 under the supervision of Cheon Daeyeop, Chief of the Court Administration Office, strong concerns were expressed regarding the bills to establish a special court for insurrection cases and to introduce a new law on judicial distortion, stating that "there are serious constitutional issues."