On the 5th, a regular meeting of all court presidents is being held at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News

On the 5th, court presidents nationwide voiced concerns regarding the judicial reform bills proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea, which include the establishment of a special court for rebellion and the creation of a new crime of distorting law.

On this day, Chun Dae-yeop, head of the Court Administration and Justice of the Supreme Court, along with the presidents of various courts, gathered for a regular meeting of all court presidents at the Grand Conference Room of the Supreme Court building in Seocho-dong at 2 PM. After discussing current issues, they stated their position that the proposed bills are potentially unconstitutional.

A total of 43 individuals, including the head of the Court Administration, presidents of various courts, and heads of institutions, attended the meeting. The meeting concluded around 7:55 PM, approximately six hours later.

During the meeting, the court presidents primarily discussed the bill to establish a special court for rebellion and the bill to create a new crime of distorting law, both of which passed through the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 3rd, led by the Democratic Party of Korea.

The court presidents stated, "We discussed our gratitude for the lifting of the unconstitutional state of martial law, our deep interest and concern regarding the trials related to martial law, and yet, the unconstitutionality of these bills and the potential for trial delays that may result."

First, the court presidents expressed, "We express our deep gratitude for the restoration of constitutional order as the unconstitutional December 3rd state of martial law was lifted through the proactive efforts of the public and the National Assembly. We gravely recognize the importance of the martial law-related trials and the profound interest and concern of the public."

However, they expressed concern that the two bills could lead to significant confusion, such as trial delays, due to their potential unconstitutionality in the future.

They emphasized, "The new bills are highly unconstitutional as they undermine the neutrality of trials and public trust in the judiciary, and ultimately infringe upon the fundamental right to a fair trial."

Furthermore, the court presidents mentioned that the first trial for charges of rebellion against former President Yoon Suk-yeol and others is currently underway, and stated, "As the verdict for the related case is scheduled, we ask the public to trust the judiciary and await the final trial outcome."

They also promised, "All courts at every level will provide all judicial and administrative support for the swift and focused handling of trials."