Byeong-do Han, “Cho Hee-dae gave a false explanation of ‘encouragement payment’ at the National Assembly… He should be put down from his position.”

An unprecedented case in which the head of the judiciary mocked the legislature and deceived the sovereign people.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Nam-kwon and Jeong Yeon-sol = On the 13th, Han Byeong-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who is caught up in the controversy over the payment of incentives to Supreme Court Justices, to "resign from his position even now."

At the National Assembly audit countermeasures meeting held at the National Assembly on this day, floor leader Han said, “I hope you will face the fact that the person responsible for undermining the authority and trust of the judiciary is none other than Chief Justice Cho himself.”

He emphasized, "Yesterday, through the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of government affairs, it was repeatedly confirmed that the office of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae paid cash as encouragement to Supreme Court Justices and the Director of the National Court Administration."

He continued, “Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Kim Ho-cheol also made it clear that the person paying the incentive money was the head of the institution, that is, Chief Justice Cho,” and added, “Furthermore, he added that he judged that regular and uniform payment of the incentive money to the Chief Justice was a violation of the National Finance Act.”

At the same time, he pointed out, "In the Supreme Court's government audit on the 6th, Chief Justice Cho answered that the Chief Justice was not involved in any way (in the payment of incentives). Was he truly not involved and unaware?" and "Did Chief Justice Cho give a false explanation to the National Assembly to avoid himself?"

One floor leader criticized, “Was the reason for refusing to take the oath as a witness to avoid punishment for perjury?” and “This is an unprecedented case in which the head of the judiciary made a mockery of the legislature and deceived the sovereign people.”