Disciplinary proceedings to begin for Judge Ji Gwi-yeon over drinking-entertainment allegations
The Supreme Court plans to move forward with disciplinary committee proceedings against Seoul Northern District Court Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon, who was indicted over allegations of being wined and dined. When Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min urged disciplinary action against Judge Ji during the Supreme Court's parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 6th, Choi Jin-soo, the Supreme Court's ethics auditor, said, "I understand that disciplinary committee proceedings are already set to take place." Choi added that both instances of Judge Ji's drinking entertainment were included among the grounds for discipline.
Ruling party lawmakers took issue with the fact that courts rejected four times the arrest warrants requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials during its investigation of Judge Ji, calling it "an attempt to cover for its own." Noh Kyung-pil, head of the National Court Administration, pushed back, asking, "Do you expect the National Court Administration to interfere in trials?" and emphasized, "The National Court Administration cannot get involved in individual cases, and even the Chief Justice cannot." Committee Chairwoman Seo Young-gyo demanded the submission of materials explaining the circumstances of the warrant rejections.
When it was pointed out that lawsuits against judges were being made difficult, Noh dismissed the claim as "excessive speculation." Regarding a manual prepared by the National Court Administration for supporting and responding to official duties litigation after the crime of judicial distortion takes effect in March 2026, Noh said, "That is done only in clear-cut cases, and the trial court makes its own judgment."
The issue of home warrants — where judges issue warrants remotely from their homes — was also raised. Noh replied, "This is under overall review, and we judge it to be inappropriate."
