🇰🇷 South Korea · Judge
From KRW 102M / yr (≈$70K USD) by industry
Mean salary — KRW 102M / yr (≈$70K USD).
KRW 102M / yr (≈$70K USD)
💰 Pay spread — by industry / specialty
The mean is the headline; the spread is what matters.
200,000,000 KRW
Supreme Court Justice
14 Supreme Court Justices
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
150,000,000 KRW
High Court Presiding Judge
20+ pay grade
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
130,000,000 KRW
District Court Presiding Judge
15+ pay grade
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
100,000,000 KRW
District Court Judge
10 pay grade (avg)
🟢 Tier 1 — KOSIS Wage Structure Basic Statistics Survey 2023
🗺️ The path — stage by stage
- 1. Law school + Bar (3+ yr) — Top-tier students
- 2. Legal experience (5~10 yr) — Lawyer / prosecutor / law clerk etc.
- 3. Judicial appointment (— yr) — Supreme Court new-judge appointment process
- 4. District / High Court pay grades (30 yr) — Grades 1~30, retirement at 65
📝 Licensing exam
Bar Exam + Judicial Appointment
5~10 yr legal experience after Bar (lawyer / prosecutor / public-interest) → judicial appointment.
💵 Specialties — same title, different number
| Specialty / Industry | Mean / yr | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court Justice | 200,000,000 KRW | 14 Supreme Court Justices |
| High Court Presiding Judge | 150,000,000 KRW | 20+ pay grade |
| District Court Presiding Judge | 130,000,000 KRW | 15+ pay grade |
| District Court Judge | 100,000,000 KRW | 10 pay grade (avg) |
| New Judge (Grade 1) | 70,000,000 KRW | Right after appointment |
🏢 Employer types — base vs total comp
Court (full-time)
Civil servant pay scale + diligence pay + family allowance
📈 Income across years
New Judge (Grade 1)
70,000,000 KRW
1 yr
Grade-10 Judge
100,000,000 KRW
10 yr
Presiding Judge
130,000,000 KRW
15+ yr
High Court Presiding Judge or above
150,000,000 KRW
20+ yr
📚 Go deeper
Four sub-pages — gift, vision, path, history.