Criminal Appeals to Supreme Court Surpass 3,000 Cases Per Month

The number of criminal cases (based on formal trials) filed with the Supreme Court has surpassed 3,000 in a single month for the first time. As of October 2025, the cumulative number of cases has already exceeded the total number filed throughout 2024. The Supreme Court explained, "As policies to resolve trial delays have increased the volume of appellate cases processed, the number of cases naturally proceeding to the Supreme Court has also risen."

According to the 'Monthly Court Statistics Report' from the Judicial Information Disclosure Portal, the number of criminal appeals filed with the Supreme Court in May and September was 3,141 and 3,319, respectively. This is the first time since January 2015, when the portal began releasing monthly data, that the number of criminal appeals filed with the Supreme Court has exceeded 3,000 in a single month.

Looking at the trend in criminal appeals filings over the past three years: there were 19,179 cases in 2022, 21,102 cases in 2023, and 24,889 cases in 2024, showing a steady increase. For 2025, the number reached 25,295 by October, already surpassing last year's total (24,889 cases). A Supreme Court official stated, "The significant increase in the number of appellate cases processed appears to be the main reason for the rise in Supreme Court filings."

According to the Supreme Court, the number of criminal cases processed by high courts nationwide was 9,201 in 2022, 11,508 in 2023, and 12,335 in 2024, marking a sharp increase over the past three years. By October 2025, high courts had processed 11,922 criminal cases nationwide, about 1,600 more than during the same period in 2024 (10,295 cases). Including appellate cases handled by district courts, the total rose from 66,025 in 2024 to 70,434 in 2025, an increase of about 4,400 cases. The courts analyzed that policies such as increasing the number of criminal divisions within high courts to resolve trial delays are reflected in these statistics. As the volume of appellate cases processed increased, the number of cases naturally proceeding to the Supreme Court also rose. In fact, the average processing time for criminal cases at high courts nationwide in 2025 was shortened by more than 10% compared to the previous year. According to the Judicial Information Disclosure Portal, the average processing time for appellate cases as of October 2025 was approximately 148.4 days, an 11.5% decrease from 2024 (about 167.6 days).

An official from the Seoul High Court stated, "Last year, the number of divisions handling criminal cases increased from 12 to 13, and starting this year, the Incheon branch court also began handling criminal cases." Until 2024, the Incheon branch of the Seoul High Court handled only civil and family cases, but in February 2025, a criminal division was established.

However, a Supreme Court official noted, "This may be a temporary phenomenon that emerged during the process of resolving trial delays after COVID-19," adding, "It will be necessary to continue monitoring trends in the number of Supreme Court filings and the appeal rate going forward."

Han Mina, Legal Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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