Presiding Judge in Insurrection Case Ji Gui-yeon Transferred to Seoul Northern District Court, Regular Judicial Appointments Completed

Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon of the Seoul Central District Court, who has been in charge of the case against former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection, will be transferred to the Seoul Northern District Court as part of the regular judicial personnel reshuffle.
The Supreme Court of Korea announced on the 6th that it will carry out regular appointments for judges at the level of senior district court judges and below, effective on the 23rd. A total of 1,003 judges are subject to this reshuffle, including 561 senior district court judges and 442 other judges.
Ji, who serves as presiding judge of Criminal Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court, will move to the Seoul Northern District Court under the new appointments. Since last year, he has been hearing insurrection cases involving former President Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former National Police Agency Commissioner General Jo Jiho and others, with a verdict scheduled for the 19th. Because his transfer date is the 23rd, sentencing in that case is expected to proceed as planned. Ji was appointed as a senior judge at the Seoul Central District Court in February 2023 and has served there for three years.
Judge Lee Jin-gwan, presiding over Criminal Division 33 of the Seoul Central District Court (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 32), who sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison at first instance on charges of participation in important duties related to insurrection, will remain at the Seoul Central District Court. Presiding Judge Woo In-sung of Criminal Division 27, who handled the first-instance trial of First Lady Kim Keon-hee in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, free opinion polling, and Unification Church bribery cases, and Presiding Judge Baek Dae-hyun of Criminal Division 35, who heard the first-instance case on obstruction of the arrest of former President Yoon, will also stay in their current posts.
Lee remained at the Seoul Central District Court after being assigned to Criminal Division 33 in February last year and serving there for about a year, and Baek likewise will stay on after being appointed to Criminal Division 35 in February last year. Woo was transferred to Criminal Division 27 in February 2024 and will also continue to serve at the Seoul Central District Court under this reshuffle.
The Supreme Court of Korea also stated that, through this round of regular appointments, it newly appointed 132 judges as senior judges at district courts, including 60 women, who account for 45.5% of the total.
In addition, several non-judicial posts were newly created or expanded. To strengthen the judiciary’s capacity in budgeting, facilities, and legal review, and to smoothly advance key judicial initiatives such as publication of judgments, live broadcasting of trials, and the introduction of AI tools to support court proceedings, the National Court Administration added one Planning and Coordination Officer.
To improve public access to justice, it also created a new position of Judicial AI Policy Officer dedicated to court-related artificial intelligence policy, appointing Lee Kang-ho of the Daegu High Court (first bar exam cohort) as the inaugural officer. To support training for new judges and lectures at law schools, one additional professor was appointed to the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
Some judges who have earned strong trust by faithfully handling trial work over many years were appointed as heads of branch courts. Those included in this reshuffle are Kang Boo-young, appointed head of the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court (class 32), Lee Joong-min, appointed head of the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court and Suwon Family Court (class 30), and Lee Hyo-seon, appointed head of the Hongseong Branch of the Daejeon District Court and Daejeon Family Court (class 35).
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Eun-sol Reporter