On December 6, 2024, the Supreme Court held the Conference of Chief Judges (regular meeting), attended by 42 participants, including the Minister of the National Court Administration and Chief Judges of courts from all levels.

Chief Justice JO Hee-de, in his remarks, expressed his gratitude to all Chief Judges and members of the judiciary for their dedication in fulfilling their duties, especially during challenging times for the judiciary. He noted that the judiciary is continually facing both concern and expectation from the public, who look to it to resolve society’s most pressing issues swiftly and impartially. 

The Chief Justice also emphasized that concerns over national turmoil have grown in light of the recent situation regarding the declaration of martial law. In such times, the judiciary must remain steadfast, making every effort to strengthen the rule of law and safeguard the fundamental rights of the people through rulings based on the Constitution and laws, with unwavering adherence.

Due to the attendance of the Minister of the National Court Administration, who also serves as the chair of the Conference of Chief Judges, at the National Assembly, the President of the Judicial Research and Training Institute filled in for the Minister and presided over the meeting, in accordance with Article3(3) of the Rule on Conference of Chief Judges. Minister of the National Court Administration joined the meeting later, after his duties at the National Assembly were concluded. 

As per Article 3(3) of the Rules on the Conference of Chief Judges, the President of the Judicial Research and Training Institute presided over the meeting due to the Minister of the National Court Administration's scheduled commitment to attend the National Assembly. The Minister subsequently joined the meeting after fulfilling his National Assembly duties.

The Vice Minister of the National Court Administration, on behalf of the Minister, provided an explanation regarding the Supreme Court’s response to the recent circumstances resulting from the declaration of martial law. 

The key points from the explanation include: the progress of discussions held at the Supreme Court executive meeting following the declaration of martial law, the request for liaison officers from the Martial Law Headquarter, the Supreme Court’s response to this request, and the remarks made by the Chief Justice during the meeting, which were reflected in the official announcement issued by the Vice Minister.  

After receiving the briefing, the Chief Judges shared the gravity of the situation and agreed that all levels of courts would continue to fulfill their duties according to the Constitution and laws. 

The Chief Judges from across the nation were scheduled to receive reports on key tasks from the National Court Administration, the Sentencing Commission, and the Inspector General of Judicial Ethics. However, these reports were replaced with materials sent out beforehand. The presentation of the three planned discussion topics was skipped as well and replaced with pre-distributed materials. The meeting concluded after addressing each topic.