This photo, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows the Supreme Court. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jul. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – In a move to ensure equal access to justice for non-Korean speakers, the National Court Administration of South Korea inaugurated a Court Interpretation Center at the Seoul Eastern District Court on July 17.
The center, which began operations on July 1, aims to provide consistent interpretation services to courts nationwide through video trials. It employs full-time interpreters directly hired by the court system to offer remote interpretation services across the country.
Currently, the center supports interpretation for the four most in-demand foreign languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian. It also provides sign language interpretation for hearing-impaired individuals.
The National Court Administration is considering expanding its services to include languages with growing demand, such as Arabic and Uzbek, as well as less common languages.
The establishment of the Court Interpretation Center is the culmination of a project initiated in 2022 to address the challenge of finding qualified interpreters in smaller cities and rural areas. This disparity had led to concerns about foreign defendants’ ability to receive fair trials outside major urban centers like Seoul.
At the opening ceremony, Bae Hyeong-won, Deputy Minister of the National Court Administration, emphasized the growing importance of accurate and impartial interpretation in legal proceedings. “As Korea transitions into a multicultural and multiethnic society, we’re seeing a significant increase in cases involving foreign parties in criminal, administrative, and family courts,” he said. “Providing precise and neutral interpretation for foreign parties or witnesses is crucial for uncovering the truth and ensuring their right to a fair trial.”
The National Court Administration expects the video interpretation system to bring multiple benefits, including more efficient court scheduling, better utilization of interpretation-related funding, and reduced workload for court staff in arranging interpreters.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
