The Supreme Court held the national conference of Chief Judges on March 12 and 13, 2026, with 44 participants, including chief judges from all levels of court.

The Vice Minister of the National Court Administration highlighted that three new judicial reform bills have changed the judicial system. He noted they have raised serious concerns and urged attendees to act to restore public trust and develop effective, practical measures.

The conference focused on the offense of distortion of law, constitutional complaints against court judgments, and increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices.

As the first topic, the chief judges discussed follow-up measures in response to the judicial system reforms.

Concerns arose about introducing the constitutional complaint against court judgments. This change will greatly impact the public and judicial system. However, the meaning of the amended Constitutional Court Act remains unclear. The lack of changes to related statutes may also cause confusion in judicial practice and institutional operations after implementation.

Anticipated practical issues include:

(1) procedures for transmitting trial records and the manner in which the judiciary may submit its views at the constitutional complaint stage; and

(2) issues arising where a constitutional complaint is upheld, including follow-up procedures for vacated judgments and the legal effect of enforcement carried out on the basis of final and conclusive judgments.

The participants shared the view that potential adverse effects should be minimized by refining relevant laws and regulations and by consulting relevant institutions.

Discussions on increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices addressed panel composition, changes to hearing procedures, ways to prevent weakened fact-finding in lower courts, and improvements to physical infrastructure, such as court facilities.

As the second topic, the chief judges discussed support measures for criminal judges after the introduction of the offense of distortion of law. Since then, a rise in complaints and accusations against criminal judges has increased external pressure. As a result, judges are more reluctant to serve in criminal divisions, complicating adjudication. The judges agreed that protecting and supporting criminal judges is essential to ensure the public’s right to a prompt and fair trial is not undermined.

To protect judicial independence, attendees proposed several measures. To protect criminal judges, proposals included expanding litigation support budgets, creating a body to safeguard judges and their independence, strengthening personal information protection, and issuing guidelines for judges at each stage. To support criminal judges, they discussed prioritizing law clerk assignments, introducing a specialized criminal judge system, and increasing allowances for criminal trials.

The chief judges agreed that the National Court Administration should quickly summarize the discussions, take action, and consult with relevant outside institutions.

Developing artificial intelligence to improve public access to judicial services, including setting implementation steps, was also discussed. The discussion covered practical ways to make justice more accessible and convenient.