SEOUL – Chief Justice Jo Hee-de denied on Sept 17 that he colluded with former prime minister Han Duck-soo to render then front runner Lee Jae Myung to contest for president in the June election,
over election law violation.
The case was sent back to the high court but court proceedings were halted after Mr Lee won the presidential election and was inaugurated.
The statement, delivered through the Supreme Court, was the first released by the judicial branch since the liberal ruling bloc ramped up pressure for Mr Jo’s resignation.
“The political circles have raised speculations that Jo had met with former prime minister Han and discussed ways to handle (Lee’s) case concerning his (violation) of the Public Official Election Act,” read the statement.
“But the chief justice has never discussed anything with anyone outside (the court) regarding the criminal case.”
This came amid political pressure urging that Mr Jo resign from the post, labelling the Supreme Court’s 10-2 ruling in May to find Mr Lee guilty of making false claims with the intention to win the 2022 presidential election.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has denounced the ruling as an attempt to collude with the conservative bloc during the campaigning period to remove the strongest presidential candidate from the race.
The conservative People Power Party, however, has countered that the liberal bloc’s call for Mr Jo’s removal is in line with its attempt to undermine the power of the...
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