The Supreme Court (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Supreme Court is accelerating efforts to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in the disclosure and use of court rulings, a move aimed at enhancing transparency and restoring public trust in the judiciary.
The Judicial AI Committee, an advisory body under the National Court Administration, convened its third meeting on July 25 and discussed policies to promote the release and use of court decisions through AI technologies.
The committee’s recommendations, announced on July 28, underscore the constitutional values of judicial transparency, equal access to legal procedures, and the public’s right to know.
The committee emphasized the need for a legislative and institutional framework that would support the disclosure of court rulings, including budgetary resources, personnel, and organizational support. It also urged the development of AI-based tools such as anonymization technologies to protect personal information.
Recognizing the importance of rulings as high-value data for AI training, the committee called for a phased and differentiated disclosure strategy. While individual rulings should be accessible to the public, it warned that once large datasets of rulings are released, they are irreversible and pose risks to privacy and data sovereignty—particularly if exported abroad.
In anticipation of expanded access, the committee also proposed changes to the current ruling inspection fee system to prevent abuse and improve accessibility for ordinary citizens. Moreover, it recommended retroactively expanding access to past rulings, not just new ones.
To facilitate AI learning, the panel suggested designating “data safe zones” and regulatory sandboxes—legal frameworks that allow for the secure and flexible use of judicial data without breaching existing laws.
The move comes amid ongoing criticism that limited public access to court decisions has undermined legal transparency and accountability. By combining AI with judicial openness, the Supreme Court hopes to chart a new path toward digital-era justice reform.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
