Democratic Party Broadens Judicial Reform Front... "Considering Abolition of Court Administration Office"

Consensus on Necessity of Reform for Supreme Court Chief Justice's Full Authority... "Need to Create an Open Judicial Administration Organization"

Some within the party "Advocate for Re-pursuit of Trial Suspension Law"... Park Soo-hyun "As the fire is stoked, the water boils."

Representative Jeong Cheong-rae speaking at the Supreme Council meeting (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Hwang Kwang-mo = Democratic Party Representative Jeong Cheong-rae is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 27th. 2025.10.27 hkmpooh@yna.co.kr

 It is known that the Democratic Party is quietly considering the abolition of the Court Administration Office, which oversees court administration and personnel, as part of its so-called judicial reforms.

The party appears to be increasing pressure on the judiciary to place judicial administration reform proposals on the table, in addition to the 'seven agendas' for judicial reform, which include increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, judicial impeachment, and the crime of distorting the law.

Park Soo-hyun, the chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting on the 27th that "Representative Jeong Cheong-rae instructed the formation of a task force (TF) on 'Restoring Trust in the Judiciary and Normalizing Judicial Administration' at the preliminary Supreme Council meeting and appointed Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-hee as its head."

It is anticipated that the TF will discuss reform measures for overall court administration, including the abolition of the Court Administration Office.

Earlier, Representative Jeong had stated at a lawmakers' general meeting the previous day, "The court is too closed. There are concerns that it is too vertically structured around the Court Administration Office," adding, "There are also suggestions that it might be time to consider ways to democratize personnel and administration in a transparent and public manner."

When asked by KBS radio if Representative Jeong's remarks the previous day were essentially considering the "abolition of the Court Administration Office," Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-hee responded, "I see it as a principled statement about the need to disperse the absolute authority of the Supreme Court Chief Justice," but also pointed out, "It is difficult to achieve internal independence when the Supreme Court Chief Justice wields absolute power over judicial, administrative, and personnel matters."

There is considerable consensus within the party on the necessity of reforming and reorganizing the Court Administration Office.

The Democratic Party has previously addressed the issue of reforming the Court Administration Office in the wake of the judicial manipulation scandal during the Yang Seung-tae Supreme Court era. In the 21st National Assembly, Representative Lee Tan-hee, who is a former judge, proposed a bill that would abolish the Court Administration Office and establish a National Participation-based Judicial Administration Committee.

The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, even launched a Judicial Administration Advisory Committee to discuss the establishment of an alternative organization, considering the abolition of the Court Administration Office. However, the initiative failed due to a lack of active legislative support from the National Assembly.

The recent resurgence of discussions on judicial administration reform stems from ongoing criticisms of the 'vertical structure within the judiciary,' centered around the Supreme Court and the Court Administration Office.

A key party official told Yonhap News in a phone interview, "There is a strong awareness within the party of the issues surrounding the Court Administration Office's unilateral handling of judicial administration, and a broad consensus to improve this," adding, "We need to abolish the Court Administration Office and create an open judicial administration organization."

Furthermore, at the lawmakers' general meeting the previous day, there was a strong assertion, led by Kim Yong-min, the ruling party's whip for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, to pass the 'Trial Suspension Law' (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act), which would allow for the suspension of criminal trials for the incumbent president.

This bill has already passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee with the Democratic Party's initiative in May and has been sent to the plenary session. Its timing for passage during the regular parliamentary session can effectively be coordinated based on the intentions of the Democratic Party leadership.

The response from Kim Dae-woong, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's parliamentary audit on the 20th, when asked by People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun if the retrial for President Lee could be scheduled at any time, "Theoretically, yes. It's not impossible," is also being interpreted as having rekindled public opinion within the ruling party for re-pursuing the Trial Suspension Law.

Following the Supreme Council meeting, spokesperson Park stated, "The party has not officially discussed the Trial Suspension Law or decided on its passage in the plenary session. These are individual opinions," but added, "However, as the fire is stoked, the water boils. When the court takes a reserved stance on the demand to resume President Lee's suspended trial, lawmakers are individually making remarks about re-pursuing the Trial Suspension Law."

However, there are some within the party who express concern that 'the judicial reform front is becoming excessively broad.' This is because if the controversy over 'presidential shield legislation' is added to the 'escalation of conflict' with the judiciary, they cannot help but fear a backlash from public opinion.

A Democratic Party official said in a phone call, "Currently, with judicial impeachment, the crime of distorting the law, and now the Court Administration Office, the front with the judiciary is becoming too broad," adding, "Each issue is not simple, but it would be best to conclude them by the end of the year."

To pursue judicial reform bills as party policy, the consensus of lawmakers must be gathered, and criticism is also being raised within some parts of the party that the process of gathering public opinion on related matters has been insufficient. Yonhap News