Seoul: The Supreme Court stated on Monday that its justices will not attend a parliamentary hearing concerning the retrial of Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. The court emphasized that it would be inappropriate to participate in proceedings related to an ongoing case.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the court communicated its decision to the National Assembly ahead of a scheduled hearing on Wednesday. The parliament intends to examine the Supreme Court's recent ruling that ordered a retrial for Lee, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict on alleged election law violations.
The DP-controlled Assembly has criticized the Supreme Court for allegedly hastening the proceedings to deliver a quick verdict on Lee, which they claim could impact the upcoming June 3 election.
A Supreme Court official noted, "It's problematic in many ways for justices to attend a hearing related to a trial. We confirmed that this position has been relayed to the National Assembly."
Additionally, the Democratic Party has called for the resignation of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, accusing him of interfering in the election process.
The legislation and judiciary committee of the Assembly has requested the presence of Chief Justice Cho, along with about a dozen justices and court officials, at the hearing.