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Jeju District Court Delivers Judgment Six Months Late, Causing Delay Interest, Yet Faces No Sanction
Jeju District Court Causes Delay Interest with Late Judgment Delivery
According to a KBS Jeju report, a judge identified as Chief Judge Kim at the Jeju District Court delivered a judgment six months after its pronouncement. Although Chief Judge Kim ruled in September 2024 for the payment of unpaid construction costs, the judgment document only reached the defendant's side in March of the following year. As a result, the defendant incurred an additional 11 million won in delay interest. The Civil Procedure Act explicitly states that the presiding judge shall pronounce judgment based on the original verdict, and the judgment document shall be immediately delivered to court clerks or similar officials upon pronouncement.
Court Administration Office Interprets as 'Directory Provision,' Drawing Criticism for Allowing Trial Delays
Upon taking office in December 2023, Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae immediately identified resolving trial delays as the judiciary's biggest challenge, emphasizing the need for measures. However, the Court Administration Office explained that regulations regarding judgment delivery are not mandatory but directory provisions, and therefore, no sanctions apply even if violated. Lawyer Choi Jeong-gyu criticized, stating, 'It's the biggest problem that citizens lose their right to appeal if they miss the 14-day appeal period, yet regulations judges are supposed to follow are called directory provisions.' Currently, there are no statistics available on late judgment deliveries, leading to criticism that this amounts to neglecting delays in subsequent procedures and prolonged trials.
*Source: YouTube: KBS News (2026-03-12)*
