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2mo ago

South Korea Enacts Three-Bill Judicial Overhaul, Expands Supreme Court to 26

Court leaders warn the overhaul threatens judicial independence following defeated filibusters.

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Lawmakers discuss a controversial judicial reform bill on "legal distortion" during a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)
A bill on increasing the number of Supreme Court justices is passed at a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2026. (Yonhap)
A revision to the Constitutional Court Act is passed at a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 27, 2026. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The National Assembly approved the Supreme Court expansion 173–73, raising the bench from 14 to 26 justices over three years starting in 2028.
  • With the phased expansion and scheduled retirements, President Lee Jae Myung is set to appoint 22 of the 26 justices during his term.
  • Lawmakers also created a new offense of intentional legal distortion in criminal cases, carrying up to 10 years in prison and up to 10 years of disqualification.
  • The revised Criminal Act narrows the offense to criminal trials, clarifies definitions to avoid vague application, and broadens espionage provisions to acts for any foreign country or equivalent organization.
  • A separate revision empowers the Constitutional Court to review lower-court rulings, including finalized Supreme Court decisions, after DP-led cloture votes ended repeated PPP filibusters.