The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has begun legal examinations regarding the complaint against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae in connection with the case related to Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, which was referred back to the Supreme Court.

On the 9th, the CIO officially announced that it had assigned the investigation of the complaint filed by lawyer Lee Jae-il and civic groups against Chief Justice Cho for alleged abuse of power and violations of the Public Official Election Act to investigation department 4 (headed by chief prosecutor Cha Jeong-hyeon).

This complaint was prompted by the Supreme Court's decision to refer the case back to the Seoul High Court, asserting that the original ruling of not guilty regarding Lee's alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act was based on legal misunderstandings. Complainant lawyer Lee Jae-il objected to the fact that Chief Justice Cho immediately overturned the original ruling in just nine days after the case was submitted to the plenary.

The complainant's side argues, "A search and seizure of the Supreme Court is inevitable."

Lawyer Lee claimed that nine days were utterly insufficient to adequately review the vast case records, which amount to 60,000 to 70,000 pages, and the assertions of the parties involved. He emphasized that "to verify whether the justices properly examined the records in accordance with legal procedures within the nine days, a search and seizure of the Supreme Court is unavoidable."

Meanwhile, the Seoul High Court, which is in charge of the retrial of the case involving Lee Jae-myung, initially scheduled the first trial date for the 15th of this month but postponed it to the 18th of next month at the request of Lee's side, considering the impact of ongoing trials during the election period.

This investigation by the CIO into an unprecedented case targeting the head of the judiciary raises concerns about the potential development of a tense relationship between the judiciary and investigative agencies as the investigation process unfolds.

The CIO is expected to decide whether to proceed with the investigation after meticulously reviewing the factual basis of the complaint and the legal issues involved.

Image source: Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae / News1