Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae has reaffirmed that he did not meet with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo or any other individuals prior to the ruling on President Lee Jae Myung’s election law violation case.

Cho made the statement in his closing remarks before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee during Monday’s audit of the Supreme Court.

He emphasized that, as previously clarified through the National Court Administration, he had no private meetings or conversations concerning Lee’s case with Han or any outside parties, countering recent allegations.

Cho has faced accusations of interfering in the June 3 presidential election after the Supreme Court overturned a not-guilty verdict in Lee’s election law violation trial and remanded the case to a lower court just before the election.

Citing legal restrictions, the Chief Justice declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

He expressed regret over public distrust regarding the swift trial and ruling, stating that he personally wishes to dispel such suspicions.

However, Cho underscored that information related to the deliberation process, the formation of the judgment and the announcement of rulings cannot be disclosed under Article 103 of the Constitution, which guarantees judicial independence, and Article 65 of the Court Organization Act, which mandates confidentiality of judicial deliberations.