Chief Justice JO Hee-de received an LL.B. from Seoul National University College of Law in 1979 and passed the 23rd National Judicial Examination in 1981. He was appointed as a judge in September 1986, and later earned his LL.M. from Cornell University in 1992.

Since beginning his judicial career at the Seoul Criminal District Court, Chief Justice Jo held various judicial positions, including Research Judge at the Supreme Court of Korea (1996–1997); Professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute (2000–2003); Presiding Judge of the Seoul High Court (2006–2012); and Chief Judge of the Daegu District Court and Daegu Family Court (2012–2014). He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court for six years (2014–2020). After retiring from the bench, he held the position of Distinguished Professor at Sungkyunkwan University Law School from 2020 until his appointment as Chief Justice in 2023. He assumed office as the 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea on December 8, 2023.

Throughout more than 34 years of judicial service in courts of every level, including the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Jo has adjudicated a broad range of cases with integrity and impartiality, faithfully upholding the spirit of the Constitution. His judicial career has been guided by the principle of Anminjeongbeop (安民正法)—the belief that a judge’s solemn duty is to ensure the fair and just administration of the law, thereby enabling people to live in security and peace. In keeping with this principle, he has devoted particular attention to protecting the legitimate rights of the socially disadvantaged persons and members of minority groups.

Chief Justice Jo has authored numerous scholarly works, including Is Gender Reassignment Permissible under Current Korean Law? and Trade Secret Infringement and Damages, as well as a collection of essays entitled Shared Prosperity for All (Maninsangsaeng, 萬人相生).