Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de pledged to increase the quota for judges by over 300, to address shortage of judges and delayed trials.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Jo said increasing the number of judges is a pressing matter in dealing with delayed trials in the long term, citing that more than seven percent of judges, or over 220, are currently absent due to parental leave or overseas training.

The chief justice said it is the judiciary's goal to have related legislation pass the National Assembly within the year.

In a bid to prevent a drain of talented personnel into law firms, Jo mentioned having younger judges with relatively less experience to form a collegiate court with senior judges by lowering the standard of experience to three years from the current five or more years.

The chief justice also called for an increase in judges' salaries, more overseas training opportunities or sabbaticals to prevent them from leaving the court for law firms.