South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) attends a meeting with his senior secretaries at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, South Korea, 06 August 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Aug. 6 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s presidential office said Thursday that reports claiming it supported calls to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae were “completely untrue.”
Presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung issued the statement as calls for Cho’s impeachment spread among some members of the ruling Democratic Party during its leadership election.
“Reports that the presidential office agrees with the impeachment or departure of the chief justice are completely untrue,” Kang said.
The statement was intended to distance the presidential office from the impeachment proposals.
Democratic Party leadership candidates Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil had earlier expressed support for pursuing Cho’s impeachment.
Some observers interpreted the proposals as an attempt to pressure the Supreme Court amid delays in selecting replacements for former Justice Noh Tae-ak and Justice Lee Heung-gu.
Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president following nomination by the chief justice and approval by the National Assembly.
Although the presidential office distanced itself from the proposed impeachment, it expressed concern about prolonged vacancies on the Supreme Court.
“It is the position of the presidential office that nominations for the successor justices should be made promptly in accordance with the relevant legal procedures,” the office said.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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