South Korea pilot court cuts housing dispute time to 3 months

South Korea’s Supreme Court has piloted a “civil‑case rapid‑processing” unit, the 민생사건 적시처리부, in Seoul Central District Court and Changwon District Court. Launched in February, the unit handles everyday disputes such as lease‑deposit returns, jeonse fraud and building handovers. Over a four‑month test period, the average time from filing to final judgment was 91 days, compared with the national average of 223 days for similar civil cases. The interval from filing to the first hearing averaged 87 days, versus 139 days nationwide.

The pilot also achieved a 42.2% settlement‑adjustment rate, well above the 25.8% average, and a 12.3% appeal rate, roughly half the national figure. One tenant who sued over a jeonse fraud case received a judgment within two months and recovered the deposit without additional enforcement steps. A survey of 180 participants showed 77% believed the unit helped speedy rights protection and 55% felt the process was faster than expected. The Supreme Court plans to share the results and support other courts in adopting similar rapid‑processing units.