Korea's Top Court Judges Review 500 Cases a Day as Vacancies Mount

Justices at South Korea's Supreme Court are reviewing more than 500 cases in a single day of deliberations, pushing the court's workload to its limits. One seat has been vacant since former Justice Noh Tae-ak retired, and Noh Kyung-pil, who heads the National Court Administration, has been excluded from trial duties — leaving the remaining justices to absorb the equivalent of two empty seats. With Justice Lee Heung-gu also set to retire next month, concerns are growing that a prolonged standoff between the Presidential Office and the Supreme Court could worsen delays in final appeals.

Justices have recently been reviewing more than 500 cases on a single deliberation day, according to legal circles on the 26th. Lower-court panels typically deliberate 50 to 60 cases a month, making the caseload substantial even allowing for the top court's distinct role. Noh Tae-ak's seat remains empty, and Noh Kyung-pil has been removed from trial work to handle administrative duties. Chief Justice Jo Hee-de also does not take part in ordinary small-panel cases. Once Lee retires on the 7th of next month, the number of justices handling small-panel cases will fall to 10.

"The number of cases justices are handling is already considerable," a legal official said. "There is concern that if another seat goes empty, it would not be surprising to see a justice fall ill."

The full bench is also expected to come under strain. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the stock manipulation case involving first lady Kim Keon-hee and Deutsch Motors, the case over free polling services provided by Myung Tae-kyun, and the insurrection-related charges against former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

On the 18th of this month, Chief Justice Jo submitted written nominations to the Presidential Office for Son Bong-ki, a senior judge at the Daegu District Court, and Kim Sung-soo, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court, to fill the seats of Noh and Lee. As of the 26th, however, the consent motions had not been sent to the National Assembly. The process has not been unusually slow so far, but given the confirmation hearings and the floor vote required, filling the seats before Lee's retirement is effectively out of reach. Observers say that if the dispute between the Presidential Office and the Supreme Court over the written nominations continues and delays the appointments further, the justices' workload and court delays will only deepen.