Assistive hearing devices are set to be installed in courtrooms across all courts nationwide by the end of 2029.

The National Court Administration of the Supreme Court of Korea signed a business agreement with the Korea Differently Abled Federation (KDAF) at the Mugunghwa Hall of the Supreme Court this afternoon (November 3) for the "establishment of assistive hearing devices in courtrooms nationwide."

Assistive hearing devices are auxiliary equipment that distinguish microphone audio from surrounding noise to clearly deliver sound to users of hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Under this business agreement, the KDAF will donate the equipment to the courts for installation by December 2029.

Due to the architectural structure of courtrooms, sound echoes and multiple people speak, making it difficult for standard hearing aid users to accurately understand court proceedings because microphone audio and ambient noise are amplified together.

In response, the KDAF proposed voluntarily donating assistive hearing devices to courts nationwide to improve judicial access for people with disabilities. Following approval by the Supreme Court Donation Review Committee, the business agreement was concluded.

A court official expressed expectations, stating, "Hearing-impaired individuals who use hearing aids and cochlear implants, as well as the elderly and others with hearing loss, will be able to clearly hear the proceedings in the courtroom and participate in trials."

(Photo provided by the National Court Administration, Yonhap News)