The presiding judge of the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 50 directly pointed out the problem of delayed deliberation by the Constitutional Court in the case of Jin Cheong-gyu, CEO of Tongil TV, who was charged with violating the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation. Jin was indicted in 2018 for allegedly importing North Korean books, and filed a constitutional petition in 2022, but a conclusion has not been reached by the Constitutional Court for four years. The court ruled that the Constitutional Court's delayed deliberation violated Jin's right to a speedy trial and other fundamental rights, and initiated an examination under Article 107, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution to determine whether the Constitutional Court's inaction constituted a violation of Jin's fundamental rights. This is being interpreted as a rebuttal to the argument that the Constitutional Court can exercise constitutional control over court trials.
