diff --git a/src/paired-verdict.test.ts b/src/paired-verdict.test.ts
index 7ba6e02..9bd3e52 100644
--- a/src/paired-verdict.test.ts
+++ b/src/paired-verdict.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from './paired-verdict.js';
 
 describe('paired verdict parser', () => {
-  it('parses visible verdicts from the first summary line only', () => {
+  it('parses visible verdicts from leading summary lines', () => {
     expect(parseVisibleVerdict('STEP_DONE\nmore to do')).toBe('step_done');
     expect(parseVisibleVerdict('TASK_DONE\nall done')).toBe('task_done');
     expect(
@@ -18,6 +18,46 @@ describe('paired verdict parser', () => {
     expect(parseVisibleVerdict('random prose')).toBe('continue');
   });
 
+  it('accepts status tokens a few visible lines into the summary', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseVisibleVerdict(
+        [
+          '판단부터 적겠습니다.',
+          '검증 결과는 아래와 같습니다.',
+          'STEP_DONE',
+          '',
+          '나머지 설명입니다.',
+        ].join('\n'),
+      ),
+    ).toBe('step_done');
+  });
+
+  it('ignores status tokens in prose or code fences', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseVisibleVerdict('검토 결과 STEP_DONE으로 보입니다.\n세부 내용'),
+    ).toBe('continue');
+    expect(
+      parseVisibleVerdict(
+        ['```text', 'TASK_DONE', '```', '본문에는 상태가 없습니다.'].join('\n'),
+      ),
+    ).toBe('continue');
+  });
+
+  it('does not scan beyond the leading visible line window', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseVisibleVerdict(
+        [
+          '첫 줄',
+          '둘째 줄',
+          '셋째 줄',
+          '넷째 줄',
+          '다섯째 줄',
+          'TASK_DONE',
+        ].join('\n'),
+      ),
+    ).toBe('continue');
+  });
+
   it('classifies arbiter verdicts from the first visible line', () => {
     expect(classifyArbiterVerdict('PROCEED\ncontinue')).toBe('proceed');
     expect(classifyArbiterVerdict('**VERDICT: REVISE**\nfix it')).toBe(
diff --git a/src/paired-verdict.ts b/src/paired-verdict.ts
index c464df9..c95eeb3 100644
--- a/src/paired-verdict.ts
+++ b/src/paired-verdict.ts
@@ -14,22 +14,56 @@ export type ArbiterVerdictResult =
   | 'escalate'
   | 'unknown';
 
+const VISIBLE_VERDICT_SCAN_LINE_LIMIT = 5;
+
+function leadingVisibleLines(text: string, limit: number): string[] {
+  const lines: string[] = [];
+  let inFence = false;
+
+  for (const rawLine of text.split('\n')) {
+    const line = rawLine.trim();
+    if (/^(```|~~~)/.test(line)) {
+      inFence = !inFence;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (inFence || line.length === 0) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    lines.push(line);
+    if (lines.length >= limit) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return lines;
+}
+
+function parseVisibleVerdictLine(line: string): VisibleVerdict | null {
+  if (/^\*{0,2}BLOCKED(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line)) return 'blocked';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}NEEDS_CONTEXT(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line)) return 'needs_context';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}STEP_DONE(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line)) return 'step_done';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}TASK_DONE(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line)) return 'task_done';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}DONE_WITH_CONCERNS(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line))
+    return 'done_with_concerns';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}DONE(?:\*{0,2})?\b/i.test(line)) return 'done';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}Approved\.?(?:\*{0,2})?/i.test(line)) return 'done';
+  if (/^\*{0,2}LGTM(?:\*{0,2})?/i.test(line)) return 'done';
+  return null;
+}
+
 export function parseVisibleVerdict(
   summary: string | null | undefined,
 ): VisibleVerdict {
   if (!summary) return 'continue';
   const cleaned = summary.replace(/<internal>[\s\S]*?<\/internal>/g, '').trim();
   if (!cleaned) return 'continue';
-  const firstLine = cleaned.split('\n')[0].trim();
-  if (/^\*{0,2}BLOCKED\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine)) return 'blocked';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}NEEDS_CONTEXT\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine)) return 'needs_context';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}STEP_DONE\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine)) return 'step_done';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}TASK_DONE\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine)) return 'task_done';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}DONE_WITH_CONCERNS\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine))
-    return 'done_with_concerns';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}DONE\*{0,2}\b/i.test(firstLine)) return 'done';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}Approved\.?\*{0,2}/i.test(firstLine)) return 'done';
-  if (/^\*{0,2}LGTM\*{0,2}/i.test(firstLine)) return 'done';
+  for (const line of leadingVisibleLines(
+    cleaned,
+    VISIBLE_VERDICT_SCAN_LINE_LIMIT,
+  )) {
+    const verdict = parseVisibleVerdictLine(line);
+    if (verdict) return verdict;
+  }
   return 'continue';
 }