▲ Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Cho Hee-dae arrives at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 28th.
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who expressed his refusal to comply with the presidential office's demand to re-nominate, stated on the 28th that he will explain his stance through upcoming parliamentary audits and other occasions.
On his way to work at the Supreme Court building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, this morning, Chief Justice Cho met with reporters and answered a question asking whether he maintains his position to nominate candidate Son Bong-ki, saying, "If you have any questions, I will convey them through the public relations officer in the future."
He explained once again, "I heard you all have many questions, but I will convey them through parliamentary audits and through the public relations officer if strictly necessary."
Chief Justice Cho attended the Supreme Court parliamentary audit held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly on October 13 of last year, where he read the opening remarks prepared as the head of the agency in accordance with custom.
He then did not answer questions from Democratic Party lawmakers without taking an oath as a witness, and left after about an hour.
As Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and the presidential office failed to find common ground regarding the nomination of a Supreme Court justice candidate, he broke the convention of agreement with the presidential office on August 18 and nominated candidate Son Bong-ki.
Ten days later on August 28, the presidential office effectively rejected the written nomination of candidate Son Bong-ki, calling it a "one-sided written nomination without substantive consultation," and demanded a re-nomination.
However, 25 days after the presidential office's demand for re-nomination, on the 22nd, Chief Justice Cho told reporters, "I cannot comply with the request for re-nomination."
His reasoning was that specific reasons and constitutional grounds were not stated in the documents related to the presidential office's request for re-nomination, and he could not find any other constitutional grounds or reasons to justify the request for re-nomination.
In response, the presidential office immediately issued a rebuttal stating, "The Chief Justice's announcement implies that the Chief Justice's right to nominate takes precedence over the President's right to appoint, which is a perception that violates the Constitution," escalating the conflict surrounding the Supreme Court justice nomination into a head-on collision.
The next day, as Chief Justice Cho countered that "the official request for re-nomination does not clearly state the reasons for the request," the presidential office fired back, stating, "The meaning of the official document is clear, yet the Chief Justice is misleading the public."
Chief Justice Cho's statement on the 22nd came while President Lee Jae-myung was out of the country on an overseas trip, prompting fierce criticism mainly from the ruling bloc.
President Lee returned yesterday afternoon after completing a 5-day, 7-day tour of the United States and Mexico.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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