Jeonse fraud victims recover deposits in 2 months as court fast-track cuts case times by 132 days

A pilot court program designed to fast-track civil cases directly affecting daily life — including jeonse fraud and lease deposit disputes — has resolved cases an average of 132 days faster than conventional divisions, the Supreme Court said Friday.

The Supreme Court on Friday released performance results for the "livelihood case timely processing division," currently being piloted at Seoul Central District Court and Changwon District Court. The division was established in February alongside the regular rotation of judges, with the aim of swiftly resolving everyday disputes involving lease deposits, jeonse fraud and building evictions. Four divisions are operating at Seoul Central District Court and one at Changwon District Court.

An analysis of the pilot divisions' performance from March 1 through June 30 found that the average case processing time — from filing to final disposition — was 91 days, compared with the national average of 223 days for single-judge civil cases at district courts, a difference of 132 days. The average time from filing to the first hearing was also shortened to 87 days, 52 days faster than the national average of 139 days. The pilot divisions also showed stronger results in resolving disputes at the first-instance level: their mediation and settlement rate stood at 42.2 percent, 16.4 percentage points above the national average of 25.8 percent, while their appeal rate was 12.3 percent — roughly half the national average of 23.1 percent.

The Supreme Court cited concrete cases illustrating the program's impact. One jeonse fraud victim received a ruling just two months after filing suit, allowing the tenant to join the dividend distribution process on the landlord's real estate before the deadline for filing dividend claims — and recover the deposit — without incurring the additional cost of a provisional seizure. The tenant's status as a jeonse fraud victim was also recognized quickly. In a building eviction case, a mediation agreement was reached two months after filing: the tenant completed deposit settlement and prepared to vacate, while the landlord secured an enforceable title, bringing the dispute to an early close.

The Supreme Court identified the separation of livelihood cases from general civil cases — handled by dedicated divisions — as the key factor behind the faster processing. Standardizing correction orders and clarification preparation orders by case type, and making active use of recommended settlement decisions and same-day rulings, also contributed to the shorter timelines. Particularly in discharge confirmation and objection-to-claim cases with little dispute, settlement recommendations issued immediately after service of the complaint brought the average resolution time down to 39 days.

User satisfaction was also high. In a survey of 180 litigants and attorneys conducted by Seoul Central District Court, 77 percent of respondents said the division "helps the public obtain prompt relief of their rights," and 55 percent said proceedings moved faster than expected. Attorneys who attended related forums were quoted by the Supreme Court as saying they could now tell clients to expect a first-instance ruling within six months.

The Supreme Court said it plans to share the pilot results with courts nationwide and support other courts in reviewing whether to adopt the livelihood case timely processing division model.