12,587 Long-Pending Cases Pile Up... Dedicated Judges Handle Just 257 in Three Years

Published 21 Oct.2026 15:50(KST)

The Program Fizzles Out Six Months After the Regular Judicial Reshuffle

The court’s “dedicated judges for long-pending cases” program, introduced to reduce trial delays, has repeatedly operated for about six months each year before being suspended. This year, the number of judges assigned to the program reportedly fell to 0.5, according to statistics.

A staffing level of 0.5 means that the judge works half-time. Meanwhile, the number of long-pending civil cases at the first-instance level rose to 12,587, its highest level since 2022.

According to reporting by The Legal Times, dedicated judges have handled a total of 257 cases since the program was introduced in August 2023.

Under the program, a dedicated judge takes over long-pending cases and “high-dispute cases” requiring intensive research from another judge in a panel and handles them as the judge in charge. The program was introduced to ease trial delays by assigning long-unresolved cases to separate judges.

However, the program has not operated consistently since its launch. It has repeatedly begun during the regular judicial personnel reshuffle each February and then been suspended six months later.

Operational records show that from August 2023 to February 18, 2024, two dedicated judges handled 59 cases. From February 19 to August 2024, the number of dedicated judges was increased to four, and they handled 99 cases. However, the program was suspended because of a “decline in the number of judges available for duty.” This refers to a reduction in the number of judges actually working because of training, leave, or other reasons.

From February 24 to August 2025, three judges handled 71 cases before the program was suspended again for the same reason. This year, the program began on February 23 with 2.5 judges, but the number fell to 1.5 on April 13 and to 0.5 on July 1, when the program was ultimately suspended. The judges handled just 28 cases through July 1.

In effect, the number of dedicated judges has continued to fall from a peak of four to three, 2.5, and 0.5, while the number of cases handled has declined from 99 to 71 and then 28. A court official said, “Because associate judges on panels took sick leave and were absent for other reasons, dedicated judges for long-pending cases had to fill in for them.”

Long-pending cases are piling up rapidly. As of June 30 this year, there were 12,587 long-pending civil cases at the first-instance level—those pending for more than two years and six months—the highest number since 2022, when there were 7,746. The number of long-pending criminal cases at the first-instance level—those pending for more than two years—stood at 5,643.