Controversy Erupts Inside and Outside the Judiciary After Supreme Court Ruling
Central District Court Chief Judge Raises Issue of Responsibility
Following the Supreme Court's verdict on the violation of the Public Official Election Act by Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, there have been criticisms both within and outside the legal community that the Supreme Court handled the case with unusual speed. Amidst this, a sitting judge has publicly called for Chief Justice Cho Heedai to resign.
Chief Justice Cho Heedai is preparing for the Supreme Court trial to deliver a verdict on the appeal of Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of May 1, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps
According to the legal community on May 7, Kim Joo-ok, a presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, posted on the court's internal network, CourtNet, stating, "Has there ever been a precedent where the Chief Justice intervened so actively in the procedures and conclusions of an individual case?" He continued, "The Chief Justice must take responsibility for the inexplicable suspicions regarding the judiciary's political neutrality. He should apologize and resign."
Judge Kim further stated, "It is a reasonable inference to believe that, thinking he could strip Lee Jaemyung of his candidacy or at least influence voters to defeat him, the Chief Justice decided to take a huge risk and challenge the most prominent presidential candidate of the party holding a parliamentary majority, staking the fate of the judiciary in the process." He added, "The conduct of the Chief Justice, who has become blinded by arrogance and delusions of grandeur and entered into an unwinnable fight with a complacent view of the situation, as well as the justices who supported him, is truly disappointing."
He demanded, "The National Judges' Representative Conference should immediately convene an emergency meeting to assess the current situation and discuss ways to restore public trust, including recommending the resignation of the Chief Justice."
On the same day, Noh Haengnam, a presiding judge at the Busan District Court Dongbu Branch, also posted an article titled "Are You Still a Justice After This?" and criticized Chief Justice Cho, asking, "Is that defendant's statement from several years ago truly more malicious than the actions of a former president who declared martial law and terrified the entire nation?"
It has been reported that several other posts criticizing the Supreme Court's verdict have been uploaded by internal members of the judiciary on CourtNet. Previously, Song Kyung-geun, a presiding judge at the Cheongju District Court, and Kim Dokyun, a presiding judge at the Busan District Court, also posted articles on CourtNet criticizing the Supreme Court's decision.
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