Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae Visits Gwangju, "Expecting Swift Trials"

Cho Hee-dae (66, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 13), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, attended the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery and the Gwangju Court Annex Completion Ceremony on the 19th as his first external schedule after inauguration.

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is delivering a congratulatory speech at the completion ceremony of the annex building of the Gwangju Court Complex on the morning of the 19th.
[Photo by Min Hyun-gi]

He stated, "The judiciary has made great efforts to gain the trust and love of the people, but it is still true that we fall short of meeting the ever-increasing expectations of the public." He added, "All members of the court must do their best to swiftly resolve disputes, understanding the suffering of the people caused by trial delays."

He continued, "With the new annex building of the Gwangju High Court and District Court, a physical foundation has been established to enable prompt and thorough trials," emphasizing, "I hope the members of the Gwangju Court will fulfill their roles and responsibilities in the annex building provided by the people and be loved by the citizens."

The Gwangju District Court annex, completed on October 20 last year, began construction in February 2021 and spans from one basement floor to six above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 11,903.54㎡.

The first and second floors above ground house 10 standard courtrooms, one medium courtroom, two conference rooms, a certified copy automatic issuance room, and a waiting room for civil petitioners. The third floor contains the Civil Agreement Division, Civil Application Division, Personal Rehabilitation Committee Office, and Rehabilitation Committee Interview Room. The fourth floor consists of the Civil Solo Division, archive, and air conditioning room. Judges conduct their work in 27 chambers on the fifth and sixth floors. Going forward, first-instance civil trials will mainly be held in the annex.

Chief Justice Cho added, "Gwangju has played an important role at many turning points in history," and "The Gwangju Court has faithfully fulfilled its roles and functions as a central court representing the Honam region for a long time."

Earlier, Chief Justice Cho visited the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery, toured the Tomb of the Unknown Martyrs, and said, "We must continue the legacy related to the democratization movement well."

Afterwards, Chief Justice Cho paid respects at the graves of the late lawyers Hong Nam-soon and Han Seung-heon, and left a message in the guestbook honoring the May spirits: "May the May spirits rest in peace. The judiciary will resolutely protect the lives, bodies, and freedoms of the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.