▲ Key audit results of the regular audit of the Supreme Court
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) announced that it has uncovered instances of improper budget execution by the Supreme Court, including the wrongful distribution of incentive payments to Supreme Court justices and the excessive purchase of computing equipment.
The BAI released the results of its regular audit of the Supreme Court containing these findings on the 31st.
According to the BAI, the National Court Administration paid an average of 2 million won in cash monthly to Supreme Court justices (12 in total) from 2022 to April 2024, despite regulations prohibiting the regular distribution of incentive payments without legal grounds.
This was done separately from specific duty expenses (5.12 million won per month).
Furthermore, the Minister of the National Court Administration also received 3 million won in cash every month during the same period.
The BAI added, "Although payments made from May 2024 to September 2025 varied in dates and amounts for each justice, making them outwardly appear not to be fixed monthly sums, the total annual payment per person was similar for the year 2024."
The total amount of incentives distributed in this manner reached 1.299 billion won.
The BAI stated, "Administratively it was handled by the National Court Administration, but it was effectively disbursed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court."
In response, the National Court Administration explained to the BAI, "The purpose of paying incentives to Supreme Court justices was to encourage the hard work of the justices and judicial research officers who participated in trials around the timing of petty bench or full bench hearings."
Separately, the Chief Justice's security and protocol team and the official residence security guard unit also received 1.5 million to 2.8 million won per month.
The Chief Justice himself did not receive any incentives.
This audit underwent on-site inspections from November to December of last year, followed by an exchange of opinions on the cited matters, and the results were finally finalized on the 20th.
(Photo provided by the Board of Audit and Inspection, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.