Constitutional Court Chief Kim Sang-hwan stated that he will do his utmost to ensure the prompt settlement of the trial appeal system, which was implemented in March, so that the guarantee of the people's fundamental rights can be further reinforced.

In his opening remarks at the parliamentary audit of the Constitutional Court by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly today (the 13th), Chief Kim said, "We bear a heavy sense of responsibility regarding the changes (following the introduction of the trial appeal system)."

He added, "We will strive to ensure that the new system takes stable root and fully realizes its original purpose amid the public's trust through constitutional adjudication that substantially guarantees the fundamental rights of the people and faithfully embodies constitutional values."

Chief Kim introduced that necessary infrastructure has been established to respond to the increasing number of adjudication cases following the system's introduction, such as securing personnel and budgets and pursuing the reorganization of the trial appeal-related information system.

He added that overall operations have been closely reviewed and improved for the smooth implementation and prompt settlement of the system, including the refinement of related adjudication regulations.

In addition, Chief Kim stated, "When I took office as the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court at the end of July last year, the bench, which had long been vacant, was finally completed into a nine-member system once again," adding, "The newly constituted full bench has worked with sincerity and a fierce attitude to focus on discussions and reach conclusions on the backlogged cases."

He went on to emphasize, "Of course, our bench humbly keeps in mind that there are still shortcomings from the perspective of the people who have the constitutional right to a speedy trial," and "We will continue to do our utmost in the future to make judgments that are prompt yet thorough."

Chief Kim also mentioned, "As public demand for constitutional education has increased significantly, we have drastically expanded constitutional education," adding, "The number of trainees, which used to be around 2,000 to 3,000 annually, is expected to reach 30,000 by the end of this year."

Following custom, Chief Kim left the audit room after giving his opening remarks, and Son In-hyuk, the Secretary-General of the Constitutional Court and currently an institutional witness, along with other officials, will answer questions from members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

(Photo: Yonhap News)