Judges' representative body considers moving December meeting to November

The National Judges' Representative Conference said it is considering moving its regular meeting, originally scheduled for next month, to this month.

Conference Chair Kang Dong-won, a senior judge at the Seoul Family Court, said Tuesday in a comment on the judiciary's internal network, Courtnet, that the body was reviewing the possibility. The comment was posted in response to a message calling for an emergency session.

"The National Judges' Representative Conference already has its regular meeting scheduled for Dec. 7," Kang said, adding that in past years it has typically taken more than two weeks from the announcement of an emergency session to the actual meeting date.

"The executive board of the National Judges' Representative Conference is monitoring external developments and other circumstances while listening carefully to the diverse views of our fellow judges," Kang said. "We are also considering, if urgently necessary, either convening an emergency session or moving the Dec. 7 regular meeting forward to November."

The conference's steering committee announced Tuesday that the regular meeting would be held on Dec. 7. Under the Supreme Court rule governing the body, regular meetings are held on the second Monday of April and the first Monday of December each year, though the date may be changed when necessary. The chair may also convene an emergency session when deemed necessary.

Earlier that day, Nam Jun-woo, a senior judge at the Seoul Bankruptcy Court, posted a message on Courtnet titled "Silence means consent," calling for an emergency session of the National Judges' Representative Conference in connection with what he described as an unprecedented crisis over the re-nomination of Supreme Court justices — one he said was likely to recur regardless of which administration is in power.

On Friday, Seong Chan-yong, a judge at the Incheon District Court's Bucheon branch, posted a piece titled "On Animal Farm" that leveled criticism at the ruling camp. "I believe we must stand up boldly against unjust attacks," Seong wrote, adding that the constitutional provisions defining the role and authority of judges were never meant to encourage them to look away from problems and simply comply. Fellow judges posted comments expressing agreement.

Kim Min-uk, a judge at the Chuncheon District Court who leads the conference's communications work, offered further context on Kang's comment, saying it was intended to remind those who had missed the earlier notice of the scheduled regular meeting date while also explaining the general principle that an emergency session could be called if needed.

"However, given that the regular meeting is already scheduled in the near future, holding a separate emergency session and then proceeding with the regular meeting again would not be efficient," Kim added. "The intent was that, if necessary, it would also be possible under the relevant rules to move the regular meeting date forward."