How to read legal citations in South Korea

Korean case numbers combine a year, a short code for the kind of case, and a number. The code is the key: it tells you the court and the kind of proceeding at a glance. Statutes are cited by name and Act number.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: Korean court practice. South Korea has no single mandatory style guide. Decisions are cited by court, date and case number, and the case number's letters show the kind of case.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A Constitutional Court case Case

Year and case type 2004Hun-Ma
2004 is the year the case was filed. 'Hun-Ma' (헌마) is the Constitutional Court's code for a constitutional complaint brought by a person whose basic rights were violated.
Running number 554
The number of the case in that year for that type.

This 2004 decision, on moving the capital, held that the capital's location in Seoul was a customary constitutional rule.

The impeachment of a president Case

Year and case type 2016Hun-Na
'Hun-Na' (헌나) is the code for an impeachment trial before the Constitutional Court. 2016 is the year it was filed.
Running number 1
The first impeachment case of that year.

A statute Statute

(),

Title Civil Act
The Korean Civil Code is called the Civil Act.
Act number Act No. 471
Each Korean statute has an Act number given when it is promulgated. Amended versions keep the original number.
Article Art. 750
Article 750 is the general rule of tort liability: a person who injures another by an unlawful act, intentionally or negligently, must pay damages.

Things to remember

Common case-type codes: Da (civil appeal to the Supreme Court), Do (criminal appeal), Hun-Ka (a court asks the Constitutional Court about a law), Hun-Ba (a party complains about a law after the court refused to refer it), Hun-Ma (constitutional complaint), Hun-Na (impeachment).
The Constitutional Court is separate from the Supreme Court. Both cite their own case numbers.
Korean dates are written year, month, day. The common form is 2004. 10. 21.
Official English translations of Korean laws are published by the Korea Legislation Research Institute. They are not legally binding.

Where to find the text, free

To understand how courts and law fit together in South Korea, read the South Korea profile in the Legal Families Atlas.

TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.