Supreme Court of Korea Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Kenyan Chief Justice Martha Koome, Korean Family Legal Counsel Kwak Bae-hee, and World Bank Deputy General Counsel David Sullivan/HANDOUT Chief Justice Martha Karambu Koome has been honoured with the inaugural Sejong Legal Culture Award for her contribution to the rule of law, access to justice and protection of vulnerable members of society.
Koome, Kenya’s first woman Chief Justice, received the international award on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during a ceremony in Seoul, South Korea.
The award was jointly presented by the Supreme Court of Korea and the World Bank.
She was named the inaugural international recipient of the award, while the Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations was recognised as the first national recipient for its seven decades of providing legal aid and protecting vulnerable people.
The recognition places Koome among the first recipients of an award established around the people-centred legal philosophy associated with King Sejong the Great.
South Korean Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae said the award was inspired by King Sejong's belief that the law and institutions should serve and protect ordinary people.
“Laws and institutions should not merely be tools of governance, but must be used to care for and protect the lives of the people,” Jo said during the ceremony.
Jo said King Sejong's creation of Hunminjeongeum, the writing system that evolved into modern Hangeul, helped ordinary people communicate and pursue their rights, including during legal disputes.
He said the philosophy remained relevant in modern justice systems, particularly in ensuring that vulnerable groups were not excluded from legal protection.
Koome was recognised for her work in promoting judicial independence, expanding public access to justice, modernising the judicial system and protecting vulnerable groups, including women and children.
The award comes as Kenya and South Korea seek to deepen cooperation between their judicial institutions.
Earlier this month, Koome held talks with South Korean Ambassador to Kenya Kang Hyungshik on strengthening judicial cooperation, with digital justice, artificial intelligence, case management, judicial training and innovation identified as potential areas of collaboration.
Koome said justice and the rule of law should form an important part of the broader Kenya-South Korea relationship, alongside existing cooperation in areas such as technology, health, agriculture and infrastructure.
The Judiciary has also been exploring the responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, legal research, access to justice and service delivery, while safeguarding judicial independence, fairness and fundamental rights.
The inaugural Sejong Legal Culture Award ceremony was held in Seoul, South Korea, on September 16, 2026/HANDOUTThe Kenya Embassy in Seoul hailed Koome's recognition as an important milestone for the country's judiciary and Kenyan women's leadership on the international stage.
The Mission said the award recognised Koome's commitment to the rule of law, access to justice, judicial independence and protection of women, children and other vulnerable members of society.
It also described the honour as a milestone in the growing relationship between the judiciaries of Kenya and South Korea
