¡á Amidst growing concerns that unjust external pressures—such as indiscriminate criminal complaints, accusations, and baseless personal attacks against judges and court officials—could undermine the essential functions of the judiciary, which guarantees the freedom and rights of the public and conducts independent trials in accordance with the law and conscience.

 • As of July 24, 2026, a total of 529 judges have been accused of the "crime of distorting the law" (Announced by the National Police Agency on July 24, 2026).

 • The trend of avoiding assignments to criminal benches is worsening, along with the increasing physical and mental fatigue of judges handling criminal cases.

 • The burden on judges and court officials has grown significantly due to the rise in various other complaints, accusations, and unjust lawsuits.

¡á Under the previous "Internal Regulations on Support for Unjust Lawsuits, etc., against Judges and Court Officials," there was no basis for supporting attorney appointments or providing legal representation for ① criminal cases and ② civil cases not covered by the Government Legal Service.

 • This forced sued judges and court officials to bear the burden of independently seeking out and retaining their own attorneys.

¡á To address this issue, the National Court Administration (NCA) thoroughly revised the "Internal Regulations on Support for Duty-Related Lawsuits, etc., against Judges and Court Officials" on May 13, 2026, establishing the grounds to support attorney appointments. Subsequently, on August 12, 2026, the NCA appointed 10 support counsel for duty-related lawsuits. Going forward, if judges or court officials become involved in duty-related legal actions and wish to receive assistance, the NCA will support them in appointing legal representation.

 • The team of 10 support counsel is composed of current and former public defenders from major courts who possess extensive expertise and experience in criminal cases. Recognized for their outstanding capabilities, they were selected based on recommendations from each respective court.

¡á The NCA will continuously strive to create a working environment where court members can dedicate themselves to their original duties without being intimidated by increasing external pressures. This effort aims to ensure that the essential functions of the judiciary—serving as the last bastion safeguarding the fundamental rights of the people—are fully maintained.