Seoul: Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae expressed his hope for a public debate on judicial reform, as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) is poised to pass a series of reform bills. Cho made these comments upon his arrival at the Supreme Court, highlighting that an extraordinary meeting with heads of courts nationwide was scheduled for later in the day.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the judicial reform bills proposed by the DP aim to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 14 to 30, reform the recommendation process for justices, revise the evaluation method for judges, expand public access to lower-court rulings, and introduce a pre-examination system for search and seizure warrants. The party intends to pass these bills before the Chuseok holiday, which starts on October 3.

Chief Justice Cho stated his intention to gather opinions from judges during the meeting of court heads and mentioned that they would decide whether to present the discussion outcomes to the National Assembly. The DP is also seeking to establish a special court for cases related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December.

President Lee Jae Myung, during a press conference on Thursday, expressed disagreement with the Supreme Court's earlier opinion that such a special court could be deemed unconstitutional. Chief Justice Cho noted that the Supreme Court is conducting a comprehensive review of the issue.