On the 17th, Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae directly refuted allegations raised by the Democratic Party of Korea, claiming he met with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and others before the last presidential election and said, "The Lee Jae-myung case will be handled by the Supreme Court itself."

Chief Justice Cho issued a statement through the Supreme Court's Judicial Administration Office before leaving work that afternoon, titled "Chief Justice's Stance on Recent Allegations by Political Circles," stating, "Allegations are being raised by political circles and others that the Chief Justice met with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and others to discuss the handling of a presidential election law case."

He emphasized, "However, I clearly state that the Chief Justice has never discussed the said criminal case with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, nor with anyone outside, and has not had any conversations or meetings similar to the allegations with the other individuals mentioned."

About 30 minutes after the statement was released, Chief Justice Cho left the Supreme Court building with a faint smile, clasping his hands together, and only replied, "Thank you for your hard work." He did not answer any reporters' questions, such as "The Democratic Party claims to have audio evidence of meeting with former Prime Minister Han. What is your position?" before getting into his car.

Last day, Democratic Party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan stated during a National Assembly interpellation that he had received a tip that on April 7th, three days after the Constitutional Court's impeachment decision regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Chief Justice Cho had lunch with former Prosecutor General Jeong Sang-myeong, and Kim Choong-sik, an associate of former President Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon.

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae gets into a car to leave work at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 17th. Yonhap News. 

Lawmaker Boo claimed, "It is said that (at the lunch meeting) Chief Justice Cho said, 'If the Lee Jae-myung case comes to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court will handle it itself.'" He asserted, "If the tip is true, this is an unprecedented case where the Chief Justice not only undermined the fairness of independent judicial trials but also condoned rebellion and entered the presidential race with the aim of transferring power to Han Duck-soo."

Democratic Party leader Rep. Chung Cheong-rae mentioned this and asked, "Citizens, if these allegations are true, what should be done with Chief Justice Cho?" Rep. Choo Mi-ae, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, also stated on Facebook, "If true, the Chief Justice's involvement in the presidential election and political interference must be investigated immediately."

It appears the Supreme Court judged it necessary to clarify the facts and draw a line, as the controversy spread, primarily driven by the Democratic Party.

Internally, there were also views that it was not an issue for the Chief Justice to directly address based solely on allegations.

An official from the Judicial Administration Office stated, "The answer is 'Such a thing did not happen,'" and reported that Chief Justice Cho had not discussed the case with anyone ahead of the presidential verdict.

He added, "They ask if he had a meal or met with people, but it is true that he did not meet with them at all during problematic periods, such as last December. As he is in public office, he might have sat nearby due to seating arrangements on anniversaries, whether intentional or not, but he reportedly doesn't even remember that."

It is known that Chief Justice Cho did not answer phone calls from outside, including from political circles, during the martial law period. It is also reported that he largely cut off external calls and focused solely on court proceedings ahead of President Lee's trial.

Those mentioned as having attended the lunch also distanced themselves from the allegations.

Former Prosecutor General Jeong Sang-myeong told Yonhap News that the meeting mentioned in the allegations never happened, stating, "I have never even met Chief Justice Cho." Although Chief Justice Cho is his junior from high school (Gyeongbuk High School) and university (Seoul National University Law School), he claims they have never met in person.

Previously, a representative for former Prime Minister Han stated, "Regardless of whether it was before or after former President Yoon's impeachment decision, there has been no meeting or meal with Chief Justice Cho, and we have no personal relationship with him whatsoever."

During a fact-finding hearing organized by the Democratic Party in May, when the allegations were raised, Court Administration Director Cheon Dae-yeop (Supreme Court Justice) denied them, saying, "Even if the sky splits in two, the Chief Justice is not that kind of person."

The Democratic Party is currently intensifying calls for the Chief Justice's resignation, citing the Supreme Court's decision to remand the election law case of President Lee and the delays in the court proceedings for the rebellion trial at the Central District Court.

Rep. Chung Cheong-rae stated, "Given that there are calls for the resignation of the head of the judiciary, who should be respected, due to political bias and unexplained allegations, it appears highly inappropriate for him to continue performing his duties as Chief Justice."

Rep. Seo Young-kyo, appearing on MBC News, stated her personal opinion that "Chief Justice Cho has violated laws and the Constitution, so I believe he is naturally subject to impeachment."

As Democratic Party lawmakers continuously escalate pressure on the judiciary, criticisms of infringing upon judicial independence have emerged from legal circles.

The non-profit lawyers' group 'Good People Making Laws' issued a statement on the same day, criticizing, "The act of politically influential figures such as ruling party leaders or National Assembly standing committee chairs publicly pressuring the Chief Justice to resign is an unfair act that poses a serious threat to the independent performance of judicial duties by judges and greatly undermines the constitutional spirit that guarantees judicial independence."

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is seen leaving work at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 17th. Yonhap News. 

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