Confidence in South Korean judiciary falls
A new poll shows that 41 per cent trust the courts, five points fewer than previously.
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The confidence of South Koreans in the courts has fallen to 41 per cent. Confidence in the Constitutional Court also declined, according to a Gallup Korea poll of 1,001 adults.
The survey was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, according to The Korea Herald. Forty-one per cent of respondents said they trusted the courts, while 47 per cent said they did not. According to The Korea Herald, confidence in the courts was therefore five percentage points lower than in the comparable survey last year.
Forty-nine per cent expressed confidence in the Constitutional Court. Previously, the figure was 61 per cent, a decline of twelve percentage points. The figures measure public perceptions of institutions and are not a judgement on the correctness of individual rulings.
The decline raises questions about the relationship between politics and the judiciary in South Korea. The confidence figures alone do not show what influence political conflicts or proceedings concerning Yoon Suk Yeol have had on confidence.
The researchers report that the change was particularly visible among voters who identify as progressive. According to the reported results, respondents cite various reasons for their views, but the poll does not prove that one specific court case caused the decline.
A separate 2025 OECD study put confidence in South Korean courts at 41 per cent. That figure is not directly comparable with the new Gallup poll because the wording, measurement period and research method differ. Both studies do show, however, that confidence in the judiciary cannot be taken for granted.
This matters for South Korea because the country needs an independent judiciary to keep political conflicts within constitutional bounds. At the same time, declining confidence can have several causes: political polarisation, high-profile disputes over appointments or dissatisfaction with specific rulings. The poll does not measure those causes separately.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A Gallup Korea poll of 1,001 adults records 41 per cent confidence in the courts.
- Forty-seven per cent say they do not trust the courts.
- Confidence in the Constitutional Court stands at 49 per cent in the same poll.
Left
Arguments Falling confidence may point to a judiciary that, in the view of many citizens, keeps insufficient distance from political power or does not convincingly explain how it reaches its rulings.
Values Equality before the law, transparency and protection against abuse of power.
Consequences This perspective highlights the risk that groups who feel politically disadvantaged in particular lose confidence and are consequently less willing to accept rulings.
Centre
Arguments The figures call for institutional calm: a poll is not evidence that judges are biased, but it is a signal that explanations, appointments and procedures must be handled carefully.
Values Independent institutions, evidence and procedural care.
Consequences The emphasis is on better communication and verifiable reforms without placing the judiciary under direct party-political pressure.
Right
Arguments The decline can be read as the result of a judiciary taking too many political issues upon itself and making decisions that voters see as interference.
Values Democratic legitimacy, accountability and restrained government.
Consequences This perspective fears that continuing political court cases will widen the gap between voters and institutions and argues instead for clear limits on judicial intervention.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and differences from earlier measurements were checked directly against the Korea Herald source. The OECD figures are presented as separate, not fully comparable context.
- confirmed Forty-one per cent trust the courts and 47 per cent distrust them. — These percentages appear in the summary of the Gallup Korea poll. source
- confirmed Confidence in the courts fell by five percentage points. — The source compares 41 per cent with 46 per cent in the earlier survey. source
- confirmed Confidence in the Constitutional Court fell from 61 to 49 per cent. — The Korea Herald gives both percentages and the twelve-point decline. source
- confirmed The OECD previously reported 41 per cent confidence in South Korean courts. — The OECD country page gives 41 per cent for 2025. source
Editor's note
The current figures come from a report on the Gallup Korea poll. The OECD source was used only as older, methodologically non-identical context; the causes of the decline remain uncertain.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „zuid-korea rechtspraak”
- RTL Nieuws — „zuid-korea rechtspraak”
- NOS — „zuid-korea rechtspraak”