Attorney Paek Kee-bong elected as an ICC judge

Paek Kee-bong, a senior attorney at Kim & Chang LLP, has been elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court. He is the third Korean to be elected to the court, following Song Sang-hyun, former ICC president, and Chung Chang-ho, who is currently serving as an ICC judge. Paek will serve a nine-year term.

He was elected on Wednesday during the annual session of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC in New York. “This reflects the international community's acknowledgment of Korea's significant leap forward as a pivotal nation,” the newly-elected judge told reporters. “I will do my best for fair and independent rulings.”

The ICC is the first international permanent court of justice established to punish genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Judges are elected by securing two-thirds of the votes among the representatives of the 123 countries present. In the recent election, six new judges have been chosen out of the 13, requiring 11 rounds of voting.

Mr. Paek received his LL.B. from Seoul National University College of Law, an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, and an LL.D. in International Criminal Law from Hanyang University. After working at the Prosecutor’s Office for 22 years, he has worked as a criminal defense attorney since 2014.


Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com