Incheon City Council Member Kim Jong-bae: "Establishment of Incheon Rehabilitation Court is Necessary"

On the 27th, during the ‘306th First Extraordinary Session’, Incheon City Council Member Kim Jong-bae (People Power Party, Michuhol-gu 4) strongly urged the establishment of a rehabilitation court in the Incheon area. He emphasized that "the establishment of a rehabilitation court is an urgent task that cannot be delayed any longer to alleviate the concentration in Seoul and enhance Incheon’s economic role."

A rehabilitation court specializes in handling debt issues, allowing for swift and professional judgments, unlike existing district courts where civil and criminal trials often cause delays in case processing. Kim pointed out that "the Incheon District Court's slow processing speed of rehabilitation and bankruptcy cases results in disadvantages in debt issues where prompt decisions are essential."

Additionally, as of November last year, Incheon ranked third in the nation for personal bankruptcy filings and fourth for personal debtor rehabilitation filings, indicating a very high demand for such cases. However, Kim diagnosed that the lack of a rehabilitation court in Incheon has led to regional imbalances and equity issues in judicial services.

Kim stated, "A rehabilitation court is not merely a place that handles bankruptcy cases; it provides opportunities for recovery to businesses and small enterprises in management crises and serves as a pathway for citizens suffering from debt to make a fresh start," adding, "There is a need for timely attention from the Incheon city level to provide rehabilitation opportunities and a strong call to the government and the National Assembly."

Currently, rehabilitation courts are established in Seoul, Suwon, and Busan, with additional installations planned for Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju in March.