Seoul: Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae was set to address allegations raised against him from political circles on Wednesday, a court official said, amid calls within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) for him to resign. Cho will make a statement at 6 p.m., the official said, a day after Rep. Boo Seung-chan accused him of making remarks undermining the court's impartiality when he allegedly met former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for a luncheon in April, months before President Lee Jae Myung's election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho allegedly stated that Lee's case would be handled by the Supreme Court during the alleged meeting on April 7, three days after the Constitutional Court upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, which triggered the presidential election in June. Lee was awaiting a Supreme Court ruling at the time on election law violation charges.
Meanwhile, an official close to Han denied the former prime minister ever having a meeting or meal with Cho, noting he does not have any personal relationship with the chief justice. Cho has recently faced calls from DP leader Jung Chung-rae and other lawmakers for his resignation, accusing him of shielding figures implicated in Yoon's failed martial law attempt by delaying their trials.