Seoul Administrative Court Chief Judge Kim Guk-hyun Directly Handles Long-Unsolved Cases... "Resolving Trial Delays"

Kim Guk-hyun, Chief Judge of the Seoul Administrative Court, conducted his first trial on the 18th. This move follows Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's announcement to establish a ‘Chief Judge Trial Division’ as a solution to the issue of ‘trial delays.’

Kim Guk-hyun, Chief Judge of the Seoul Administrative Court, is conducting the first trial of the dedicated panel for long-unsolved cases at the Seoul Administrative Court on the afternoon of the 18th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Administrative Division 9, presided over by Chief Judge Kim, held hearings for 14 long-pending cases starting at 2 p.m. that day.

On the day, Chief Judge Kim expressed, “Judges find the greatest fulfillment in conducting trials,” adding, “While my role as Chief Judge is significant, personally, the greatest joy comes from working in harmony with the judges who conduct trials together.”

He said, “I consider it fortunate to have the opportunity to set an example as Chief Judge,” and added, “I will strive to lead good trials by working closely with other presiding judges.”

The Seoul Administrative Court established the Administrative Division 9, a dedicated trial division for long-pending cases presided over by the Chief Judge, on the 19th of last month. This division was initially assigned about 40 complex, high-conflict long-pending cases that had been pending for over three years after being received by the collegiate panel.

Chief Judge Kim has served at the Seoul Administrative Court four times. From 2002 to 2003 as an associate judge, from 2015 to 2018 as a presiding judge, and from 2020 to 2022 as the senior presiding judge, handling various specialized cases including taxation, urban maintenance, and industrial accidents.

Earlier that day at 11 a.m., Park Hyung-soon, Chief Judge of the Seoul Northern District Court, held a hearing for long-pending cases as the presiding judge of Civil Division 10.

Yoon Joon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, is scheduled to conduct trials starting from the 18th of next month, and Kim Jeong-jung, Chief Judge of the Seoul Central District Court, will also begin direct trials from the 28th.

A court official stated, “By having experienced chief judges handle complex and difficult long-pending cases, efficient case management within each division will be possible, and it is expected that an atmosphere will be fostered throughout the court to strive for faster and more thorough trials.”

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