There is growing public opinion that the Suwon High Court should be established to guarantee residents' right to judicial proceedings and access to judicial services in Gyeonggi Province's western and southern regions, while reducing the economic and social costs of traveling to and from Seoul.
In particular, the Seoul High Court, which serves as the appeals court for Suwon District Court, has become disproportionately enlarged compared to other high courts, and as case backlogs intensify and judicial service quality declines, the need for establishing Suwon High Court has been raised from the perspective of judicial reform in the era of decentralization.
According to the Suwon Bar Association and other legal circles in Suwon, Suwon District Court's jurisdiction covers 16 cities and 3 counties in the southwestern region of Gyeonggi Province, including Suwon District Court, Seongnam, Yeoju, Ansan, and Pyeongtaek branch courts.
These areas are experiencing rapid population growth due to various real estate developments and labor demands in industrial sites. The population within Suwon District Court's jurisdiction is the largest among 18 district courts nationwide, accounting for 14.3% of the total. The population has increased by 3.6 million, or 68%, from 5.329 million in 1996 to 9 million as of 2005. The population is expected to continue growing with the influx of residents into Dongtan New City and the development of Gwanggyo New City.
Additionally, major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics are concentrated in Banwol, Sihwa, Seongnam, Anseong, Songtan, and Pyeongtaek industrial complexes. An advanced industrial belt in IT and BT has been formed, emerging as a strategic location for the nation's future industries.
Due to such circumstances, legal demand continues to increase.
The number of cases is the highest among 18 district courts nationwide. Suwon District Court cases account for 13.8% of all district court cases.
In fact, first-instance civil consolidated trials and individual civil lawsuits within Suwon District Court's jurisdiction increased by 85%, from approximately 13,400 cases in 1995 to 24,997 cases in 2005, an increase of approximately 11,500 cases. First-instance criminal trials and individual criminal cases increased by approximately 58%, from approximately 15,800 cases in 1995 to 25,100 cases in 2005, an increase of approximately 9,300 cases.
This increase in litigation cases at Suwon District Court consequently leads to an increase in appeals to Seoul High Court and case backlogs, reducing the efficiency of judicial administration.
Of approximately 16,000 appeals on the merits filed at Seoul High Court in 2003, approximately 2,400 cases originated from Suwon District Court, accounting for more than 15%. This represents the largest proportion of cases among the 9 district courts under its jurisdiction, including Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, and Gangwon Province.
The number of appeals from Suwon District Court exceeds the total number of cases handled by Daejeon High Court or Daegu High Court. Due to this surge in cases, Seoul High Court's case backlog is severe. For civil cases on the merits, 61% take more than 6 months to 1 year, and 23% take more than 1 year. Criminal cases are being processed within 2 to 3 months for 72.6%.
Kim Han-yu (54, businessman, Suwon resident) said, "Going to Seoul High Court for an appeals trial is a heavy burden. I don't know much about lawyers either.... It takes at least half a day. The transportation time and cost burden are significant."
A representative of the Suwon Bar Association stated, "It can be said that Seoul High Court bears at least 20% or more of case backlog. Considering that more than 60% of cases received at Suwon District Court involve civil matters, establishing Suwon High Court would yield expected effects of at least 12% reduction."
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Suwon Bar Association in May of last year on the necessity of establishing Suwon High Court, targeting 258 provincial residents, showed 66.1% in favor and 1.7% opposed, indicating a significantly high approval rate.
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