South Korea Supreme Court chief attends parliamentary audit, declines witness oath
In short
Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae appeared on 6 October at a National Assembly audit of the Supreme Court, held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. He did not take the witness oath, and one report described him as refusing both the oath and testimony. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom, the committee's chief secretary, declined to shake hands with him.
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Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae appeared on 6 October at a National Assembly audit of the Supreme Court, with Court Administration Office head Noh Kyung-pil also attending. The session was held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and photo reports from the room showed Cho taking his seat, receiving briefings from court officials and bowing after his opening remarks. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
Cho did not take the witness oath. One outlet's headline described him as refusing both the oath and testimony, while another report said only that he did not take the oath as a general witness adopted under a Democratic Party-led motion. Heads of the audited institutions took the oath at the session, according to one account. [ 1 , 7 , 9 ]
Also at the session, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom, the committee's chief secretary, passed by Cho without greeting him, a photo report said. The available documents are headlines and captions and do not record what was said during the audit or how it concluded. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The session puts the head of the judiciary directly before legislators at a time when the opposition-controlled committee has adopted him as a general witness. The refusal to be sworn limits what testimony the committee can compel, and the exchange over a handshake signals the political friction surrounding the audit. The documents give no further indication of consequences.
Key facts
- Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae attended a National Assembly audit of the Supreme Court on 6 October. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- The audit was held by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- Cho did not take the witness oath at the session. [ 1 , 7 ]
- One report described Cho as refusing both the oath and testimony. [ 1 ]
- Cho was adopted as a general witness under a motion led by the Democratic Party, according to one report. [ 7 ]
- Court Administration Office head Noh Kyung-pil also attended the audit. [ 4 ]
- Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom, the committee's chief secretary, passed by without greeting Cho. [ 3 ]
- Heads of audited institutions took the oath at the session, according to one report. [ 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae attended the National Assembly audit of the Supreme Court on 6 October. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- The audit was held at the National Assembly by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. [ 3 , 4 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]
- Cho did not take the witness oath. [ 1 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Cho refused to testify as well as to be sworn. One outlet's headline states he refused the oath and testimony; the other report available specifies only that he did not take the oath.
- Why Cho declined the oath, and what the committee did in response. The documents available are headlines and photo captions and give no reason or follow-up.
- Whether the audit produced any findings or decisions. No document reports an outcome, and the accounts are limited to the session's opening.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Seoul Shinmun publishes a photo report on Cho Hee-dae attending the audit, describing him as refusing the oath and testimony. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy publishes the first of a series of photo reports from the audit session. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy reports that Cho did not take the oath as a general witness adopted under a Democratic Party-led motion. [ 7 ]
- Maeil Business publishes photo reports of Cho at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit. [ 8 , 9 ]
- Maeil Business publishes a further photo report of Cho attending the audit. [ 10 ]