Kim Seong-soo, the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, identified the resolution of trial delays and the protection of procedural rights as key priorities during his swearing-in ceremony on September 21 at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
In his address, Justice Kim stated, "I will do my utmost to ensure that the judiciary maintains the principle of judicial independence and fulfills its responsibilities entrusted by the sovereign people, allowing them to feel secure in our work."
He pointed to trial delays as a major cause of public distrust in the judiciary. Justice Kim emphasized that improvements in trial procedures require collaborative efforts from the judiciary, the National Assembly, and the government in terms of human and material resources. He pledged to devote himself to expediting case processing as a member of the judiciary.
Justice Kim also highlighted the importance of procedural rights for parties involved in trials. While the Supreme Court generally respects the factual determinations made in lower courts, he indicated that it would make exceptions to correct such determinations if procedural rights were not adequately protected, leading to inaccuracies.
He expressed intentions to proactively address new disputes arising from climate change, artificial intelligence (AI), and humanoid robots. Justice Kim remarked, "I will study and analyze the impact of technological innovations on our society and the emergence of new types of disputes, and I will contribute to preparing reasonable and uniform standards as early as possible."
Hailing from Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do, Justice Kim graduated from Inseong High School and Hanyang University Law School, passing the 34th Judicial Examination. He began his six-year term on September 19, making him the first Supreme Court Justice appointed under the Lee government.
Prior to the ceremony, Justice Kim received his appointment certificate from President Lee Jae-myung at the Blue House. He will take over cases previously handled by former Justice Lee Heung-gu, who retired on September 7, and will work in the Second Division alongside Justices Oh Kyung-mi, Kwon Young-jun, and Park Young-jae.
Meanwhile, the position left vacant by former Justice Noh Tae-ak, who retired in March, has remained unfilled for over 200 days. Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae has recommended the appointment of Judge Son Bong-ki from the Daegu District Court, but the nomination is stalled as the Blue House has requested a reconsideration.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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