Seoul: Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae denied having meetings with any outside figure regarding President Lee Jae Myung's election law violation charges. This denial comes amid accusations that he consulted with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo about the case.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Court Administration under the Supreme Court released a statement in which Cho refuted claims made by political figures. The statement insisted that Chief Justice Cho did not meet Han Duck-soo or any other external individuals to discuss the case and emphasized that no such conversations or meetings took place.
The controversy began when Democratic Party (DP) Representative Boo Seung-chan alleged that Cho told Han during an April 7 luncheon that the Supreme Court would handle Lee's case independently if it reached that level. Boo further claimed that the luncheon occurred shortly after the Constitutional Court upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, which led to the presidential election in June. Boo accused Cho of compromising the court's neutrality and defending Yoon's martial law attempt to install Han in office.
Chief Justice Cho is currently facing demands for his resignation from DP leader Jung Chung-rae and other lawmakers, who accuse him of protecting individuals involved in Yoon's unsuccessful martial law attempt by stalling their trials. The DP also insists that Cho has lost his qualifications for his role and called for a thorough investigation to uncover the truth.
In response, the DP's senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun criticized Cho for discussing personal matters while remaining silent on significant issues like Yoon's martial law imposition. Park argued that the public's demand for judicial reform stems from misconduct by individuals like Cho. The DP also claimed to have received tips that could support Rep. Boo's allegations.
Meanwhile, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) condemned the DP for its alleged political maneuvers against Cho. PPP spokesperson Choi Eun-suk accused the DP of fabricating stories about the chief justice's meeting with Han Duck-soo and warned that such actions, which threaten the judiciary's independence, constitute national crimes. The PPP vowed not to overlook what it described as the DP's ruthless political assault on the judicial system.