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http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/0c71f397fe4b8e29 https://verfassungsblog.de/south-korea-legal-distortion-democracy/ Judging the Judges - The Crime of “Legal Distortion” and Erosion of Democratic Resilience in South Korea Hart, Nina M. eng 2026-04-22 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Criminal Law democracy Judges Legal Distortion South Korea Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 On 12 March 2026, Korea’s new crime of “legal distortion” (법왜곡죄) entered into force. Judges and prosecutors who intentionally misapply the law to benefit or harm another person now face up to ten years’ imprisonment and suspension of their professional qualifications. The reform comes at a time of fragile public confidence in the judiciary: recent surveys show that trust is shallow and particularly low among younger generations. Yet this remedy risks deepening the very crisis it purports to address.