Seoul: Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on Wednesday did not appear for a parliamentary hearing regarding the retrial of Democratic Party (DP) presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, stating it could infringe upon the independence of the judiciary. Cho submitted a written explanation to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee that it would be inappropriate for him and other top court justices to participate in the hearing related to an ongoing case, Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the DP, who chairs the committee, said. Cho argued that the hearing runs counter to constitutional provisions that guarantee the independence of the judiciary, as well as laws that ensure the confidentiality of judicial deliberations and limit parliamentary investigations into court proceedings.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho emphasized his commitment to abiding by the Constitution and the law, stating, "I cannot attend the hearing because I must abide by the Constitution and the law." The opposition-led parliament seeks to delve into the top court's recent ruling that ordered a retrial of Lee, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict for Lee over alleged election law violations.
The DP has accused the Supreme Court of expediting the proceedings to deliver a swift verdict on Lee, which it claims could influence the June 3 election. As a guilty verdict could bar the presidential front-runner from running in the race, the Seoul High Court postponed the first hearing of the retrial case until after the vote.
The People Power Party criticized the hearing as the DP's attempt to influence the top court in favor of its presidential candidate, with its floor leader Kweon Seong-dong describing the unprecedented move as a "legislative coup."