Seoul: Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on Wednesday denied having meetings with any outside figure before ruling on President Lee Jae Myung's election law violation charges. In a statement released by the National Court Administration under the Supreme Court, Cho refuted allegations raised against him in political circles that he had met former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to discuss how to handle Lee's case and made a comment that undermined the top court's impartiality.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Boo Seung-chan accused Cho of telling Han at a luncheon on April 7 that the Supreme Court would handle Lee's case as it sees fit if it reached the top court. Boo claimed that the luncheon took place three days after the Constitutional Court upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, which triggered the presidential election in June. The lawmaker also charged that Cho, on top of damaging the court's objectivity, was also trying to defend insurrection brought on by Yoon's martial law imposition and put Han in office.
Lee was awaiting a Supreme Court ruling at the time on election law violation charges. 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.