Seoul High Court to Expand Criminal Divisions in Preparation for Dedicated Insurrection Panels

Plenary Meeting of Judges Held on December 22
Final Decision to Be Made by the Work Allocation Committee Based on Meeting Results

Judges at the Seoul High Court have agreed to add at least two new criminal divisions next year to establish dedicated panels for handling major national cases such as insurrection.

On December 22, the Seoul High Court announced following a plenary meeting of judges that "it has been decided to increase the number of criminal divisions by at least two in the 2026 work allocation to establish dedicated panels for insurrection cases." Out of the total 152 judges, 122 attended the meeting.

During the meeting, explanations and discussions were held regarding the purpose and details of introducing dedicated panels for intensive review of insurrection cases, as discussed at the criminal judges’ meeting in September, as well as the main points of the Supreme Court’s regulations on establishing such dedicated panels.

Based on the outcome of the meeting, the Seoul High Court plans to finalize the number of dedicated panels, their composition procedures, and the timing of their establishment at a future work allocation committee meeting.

Meanwhile, if the special law on criminal procedures for crimes such as insurrection, treason, and rebellion-currently under review at the plenary session-passes, the process for establishing dedicated panels for such cases is expected to proceed through procedures such as the plenary meeting of judges and the work allocation committee, in accordance with the law’s implementation timeline.