Supreme Court Denies 'Presidential Passing' Claim, Cites Unmet Meeting Request

The Supreme Court's administrative chief refuted claims that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae unilaterally submitted recommendations for Supreme Court justice candidates. Noh Kyung-pil, the administrative chief, stated on October 19 that President Yoon Suk Yeol's office did not provide an opportunity for Cho to meet the president directly. This lack of a meeting led the Chief Justice to submit the recommendations in writing, Noh explained. He asserted that the Chief Justice has the constitutional right to recommend candidates. Noh further clarified that the written submission method was discussed with the presidential office's senior secretary for civil affairs beforehand. This contradicts assertions from the ruling party that the court acted without presidential consultation. When pressed by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, Noh confirmed that a meeting was requested but not granted. He added that discussions with the presidential office's civil affairs secretary did occur regarding the written submission process, though he could not recall who initiated the proposal. Supreme Court President Seo Young-kyo pressed Noh for details on the consultation, to which Noh responded that the written submission itself was the subject of discussion.

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The opportunity to meet was not given. We requested it, but it did not happen.