Civil (panel division) Processing Time

A first-instance civil case heard by a three-judge panel because the amount at stake or the issues are substantial. Below is the average time from filing to judgment at each court level.

  1. 1First instancepanel divisionabout 1y 2mo(437.3d)
  2. 2AppealHigh Courtabout 10.3 months(313.8d)
  3. 3Final appealSupreme Courtabout 1y 5mo(521.1d)

If contested all the way to the final appeal, the average time from the first filing to a final, unappealable judgment is about 3y 6mo (1,271.1d).

Source Supreme Court of Korea, 2025 Judicial Yearbook (figures for 2024, checked 2026-09-03, 표29, 30). Averages vary a lot by case.