Starting in October, the revised Criminal Procedure Act will expand police investigations and is expected to lead to a surge in demand for public defenders. However, due to a lack of judiciary budget, 30 billion won in unpaid fees for defendant public defenders is overdue, making it urgent to find a solution. Public defenders provide legal support to both defendants and victims, but the low compensation per case makes it difficult to secure excellent lawyers. The legal community argues that increasing the budget and raising compensation is necessary to improve the efficiency of the public defender system. There are also voices calling for institutional improvements such as resolving delays in the selection process for victim public defenders.
