Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae called on lawmakers to reconsider three judicial reform bills that passed the National Assembly, warning against "demonizing" judges based on individual rulings.
"I ask the public to carefully consider that it is not desirable to groundlessly disparage our system or demonize judges over individual trials," Cho told reporters Tuesday morning outside the Supreme Court building in Seocho-dong, Seoul.
The three bills address judicial distortion crimes, appeals against court rulings, and expanding the number of Supreme Court justices.
"I fully respect the National Assembly's legislative activities, and the judiciary will fulfill its constitutional mission under any circumstances," Cho said. "I ask that you deliberate once more until the end whether sudden reforms will truly help the people."
Cho disputed claims that low public trust in the judiciary justified the reforms. He noted that South Korea's court approval rating stands at 47% according to Korea Gallup, compared with 35% in the United States.
"Recently, many countries and even international organizations are actively seeking to learn from and cooperate with Korea's judiciary," he said. "This doesn't mean our trust level is high, but we need to examine objective indicators carefully, as public trust reflects public expectations."
Retiring Supreme Court Justice Noh Tae-ak also warned against politicizing judicial decisions at his farewell ceremony the same day.
"The phenomenon of bringing matters to the judiciary that could and should be resolved politically is intensifying," Noh said. "The judicialization of politics is highly likely to lead to distrust in the judiciary in a polarized society like ours."
Noh emphasized that judicial independence is not a privilege granted to judges but a foundation ensuring fair trials and the rule of law.
"Judicial independence can only be properly realized when we earn public trust through fair trials and constant self-reflection," he said.
The vacancy left by Noh's retirement is expected to remain unfilled for the time being. The Supreme Court Justice Nomination Committee recommended four candidates on January 21, but no nomination has been submitted to the presidential office for over 40 days.
The candidates are Son Bong-gi, presiding judge at Daegu District Court; Yoon Sung-sik, presiding judge at Seoul High Court; Park Soon-young, judge at Seoul High Court; and Kim Min-gi, judge at Seoul High Court.
"We are continuing consultations with the presidential office," Cho said. "As discussions are ongoing, it is difficult for the Supreme Court to speak unilaterally."