South Korean Supreme Court justices receive nearly 200 million won annually

Data released by the Supreme Court of Korea reveals that individual justices receive approximately 200 million won annually when combining base salary, special business expenses, and incentive payments. While the base salary stands at roughly 111.52 million won, justices also receive approximately 61.44 million won in annual special business expenses and an average of 24 million won in cash incentives.

A recent audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection confirmed that between 2022 and April 2024, the Court provided monthly cash incentives averaging 2 million won to 12 justices to recognize their efforts during trial sessions. Following the audit, the Court of Administration announced it would transition from uniform payments to a system based on performance and workload starting in July.

Concerns regarding fiscal transparency have been raised by lawmaker Kim Yong-min, who noted that the specific usage of the 61.44 million won in annual special business expenses remains undisclosed by the Court to protect judicial independence. This scrutiny comes as the number of justices is set to expand from 14 to 26 by March 2028, which could significantly increase the total annual budgetary burden for judicial compensation.