"Can You Still Call Yourself a Supreme Court Justice?"... Sitting Judge Directly Criticizes Supreme Court

Critical Post on Court's Internal Network
"Are Lee's Remarks Truly More Heinous Than Yoon's Martial Law?"

A sitting chief judge has criticized the Supreme Court's decision to remand the case of Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, for violating the Public Official Election Act with a guilty verdict.

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate accused of breach of trust in the Daejangdong case and bribery related to Seongnam FC, is attending a trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on April 29. Photo by Kang Jin Hyung

On May 7, Noh Haengnam, Chief Judge at the Busan District Court Dongbu Branch, posted a message titled "Can You Still Call Yourself a Supreme Court Justice?" on the court's internal network, CourtNet. Noh raised his voice, asking, "Is the defendant's (Lee's) remarks from several years ago truly more heinous than the actions of a former president who declared martial law and terrified the entire nation?"

Judge Noh also questioned, "During the last election, did Yoon Suk Yeol, the opposing candidate, speak only truth and fact without a single strand of falsehood?" He further pointed out, "If prosecutors abuse their indictment powers and charge someone at their own discretion, must the court simply follow along?"

He went on to reference former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, saying, "Should citizens be forced to sit on the cold asphalt, unable to enjoy their daily lives, and cry out for an end to insurrection? Is it acceptable to trample on the people's desire to put an end to the crisis and return to their ordinary lives?"

Regarding Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee Dae, he criticized, "In order to absolutely prevent a particular individual from being elected president, you have thrown judicial independence and the professional conscience of judges into the center of politics."

He also argued, regarding the Supreme Court justice who issued a concurring opinion that "delayed justice is not justice," "Have you become the hands and feet of the Chief Justice, working to ensure that a particular person never becomes president and that the opposing candidate must become president?"

Meanwhile, some in the legal community have pointed out that this post could be seen as a violation of the duty of political neutrality. This is because it may effectively be interpreted as a statement in support of Lee. According to the Judicial Code of Ethics, judges are prohibited from expressing political bias or engaging in conduct that could cast doubt on their political neutrality.