From February, nationwide courts to introduce email reservation system for viewing and copying court records

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\r\n[The Financial News] Starting next month, people will be able to apply in advance by email to inspect and copy court records at courts nationwide. This is expected to reduce unnecessary trips caused by delays in procedures when visiting the court.
\r\nOn the 27th, the National Court Administration announced that, beginning February 1, it will expand to all courts a reservation system that allows people to apply by email for access to and copies of court records.
Previously, to inspect or copy court records, an applicant had to visit the court in person and submit an application form. The records were then provided after the court reviewed the applicant’s eligibility. However, some case materials required additional steps, such as approval from the presiding judge or anonymization of identifying information, so same-day inspection and copying were sometimes not possible.
In response, some large courts had already been operating their own email-based reservation systems for viewing and copying court records. Smaller courts, however, did not have a separate reservation system in place.
To make a reservation to inspect or copy court records, applicants must download the application form from the Electronic Litigation Portal, fill it out, and send the completed file to the court’s official email address.
However, visiting the court in person is still required to actually view the court records, even after making a reservation.
An official at the National Court Administration explained, "Court records contain a large amount of important information about the parties to a case, so it is crucial that we carefully and promptly review the applicant’s eligibility," adding, "This review process is difficult to replace with other means such as postal mail," emphasizing the need for in-person visits.
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hwlee@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Hwan-joo Reporter