South Korea proposes separate court to tackle martial law decree cases after cries of bias

A year after former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is pushing ahead with a bill to create a separate court dedicated to handling cases linked to the decree, in response to widespread public distrust of what critics describe as a “biased” judiciary.

President Lee Jae-myung warned on social media ahead of the December 3 anniversary of the decree: “If we leave hidden acts of insurrection as they are, insurrection will certainly occur again.”

The DPK’s move comes as concerns grow that the judiciary, controlled by a Supreme Court leadership shaped under Yoon, may ultimately acquit him of insurrection charges, allowing him to walk away with only minimal penalties.

The conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP), however, has denounced the push as an attempt to create “kangaroo courts”, likening it to show trials used to purge “enemies of the people” in North Korea-controlled areas during the Korean war.