Cho Hui-dae Denies Meeting Han Duck-soo... Ruling Party: "Suspicions Remain," Opposition: "Contempt for Judiciary"

Cho Hui-dae States "No Private Meetings" at the End of the Judiciary Committee Session on the 13th

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae appeared in person at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit and made a statement, but the controversy continues. The Democratic Party of Korea maintains that there has not been sufficient clarification regarding major suspicions, while the People Power Party criticized the ruling party's conduct, even using the term "insulting the Chief Justice."

Yonhap News Agency

On October 14, a Democratic Party lawmaker who is a member of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee told Asia Economy, "Chief Justice Cho could have simply said, 'I have never met with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo,' but he spoke evasively, leaving lingering suspicions."

Previously, Chief Justice Cho stated, "I want to make it clear once again that I have never had any private meetings or conversations, nor made any remarks, with any of the individuals mentioned." This was a rebuttal to suspicions that Chief Justice Cho met with former Prime Minister Han and others before the Supreme Court's remand decision on President Lee's Public Official Election Act case. The Democratic Party plans to verify on-site on October 15 whether any Supreme Court justice accessed or received copies of documents related to the case, using electronic records and other means.

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, criticized through social networking services (SNS), "The Democratic Party abused the authority of lawmakers to the fullest extent and insulted the judiciary and the Chief Justice as much as possible." Song Eon-seok, the party’s floor leader, argued, "It was at the level of a public shaming and a people's court."

A Democratic Party lawmaker with a legal background countered in a phone call with Asia Economy, "This case is of great public interest and falls within the public domain, so the National Assembly is fully entitled to ask such questions."