Newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Kim Sung-soo said on the 21st that he will "do my utmost so that the people, as sovereign, can feel and rest assured that the judiciary is unwaveringly upholding the principle of judicial independence and quietly carrying out the weighty duties entrusted to it by the people."
Kim made the remarks at his inauguration ceremony held at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. He is the first Supreme Court justice appointed by President Lee Jae-myung.
Kim stressed that he would prepare proactively for new types of disputes that could arise from climate change and artificial intelligence. "I will study and analyze in advance the impact that technological innovation — such as rapid climate change, and artificial intelligence and humanoid robots, which are seen as both a crisis and an opportunity — will have on our society, as well as the new types of disputes it will bring," he said. "I will help lay the groundwork so that when disputes arise, we can reduce wasteful argument and present reasonable and consistent standards at an early stage." He added, "This is not something a few people can accomplish alone, so members of the judiciary will have to pool their wisdom together."
Kim also pledged to help resolve the problem of trial delays. "Visible results will be possible only when the judiciary's tireless internal efforts to improve and apply trial procedures are matched by personnel and material support from the National Assembly and the government," he said. "But before that, as a member of the judiciary, I will devote all my energy and sincerity to handling cases swiftly."
Kim said he would faithfully guarantee the people's right to a trial. "The Supreme Court concentrates on legal judgment as prescribed by the Constitution and the law, and the findings of fact made by the trial courts deserve to be respected," he said. "I will keep this clearly in mind as I take up my judicial duties." He added, "However, in exceptional cases where the parties' basic procedural rights were not properly examined and the findings of fact therefore strayed from the truth, it will be necessary to correct them."
Kim, a native of Hampyeong County, South Jeolla Province (Jeollanam-do), graduated from the law department at Hanyang University. He began his career as a judge at the Gwangju District Court in 1998 and handled trial work at courts across the country, including in Suwon, Seoul and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. He also served as ethics and audit officer at the National Court Administration and as chief professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Kim was nominated on July 18 as the successor to former Justice Lee Heung-koo.
Separately, President Lee held a tea meeting with Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de on the same day after presenting Kim with his letter of appointment. It was the first time the two had met since a conflict over the nomination of Supreme Court justices. The Presidential Office asked Jo on Aug. 28 to submit a renewed nomination.
