Supreme Court updates e-service rule to rename prosecution in civil cases

The Supreme Court amended its rule on the use of electronic documents in civil litigation, replacing the prosecutors' office with the newly created public prosecution office as an institution that can send and receive court notices electronically.

The change, published as Supreme Court Rule No. 3289, took effect on the day of publication but applies from Oct. 2, when the Prosecutors' Office Act was repealed and the Public Prosecution Office Act took effect. The court said the revision was intended to align the rule's institutional names with the reorganization.

The revision alters Article 25-2 so that notices and deliveries may be made electronically to the "public prosecution office," a term that covers regional and district public prosecution offices. The rule had previously named the prosecutors' office.

The change follows a reorganization of the state prosecution system. Under an amendment to the Government Organization Act promulgated on Oct. 1, 2025, and effective Oct. 2, 2026, the prosecutors' office was abolished and a public prosecution office was established under the justice minister. The Public Prosecution Office Act was promulgated on March 24, 2026, and took effect on the same October date.

The rule was signed by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.