Anchor: The National Assembly held a hearing over allegations that the Supreme Court interfered in the upcoming presidential election by overturning a lower court acquittal and sending back Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case for a retrial. While chief justice Jo Hee-de and other justices did not attend the hearing, the DP increased pressure on the judiciary by introducing a bill for a special counsel probe on the chief justice.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Rival political parties clashed on Wednesday over the absence of Supreme Court chief justice Jo Hee-de at a hearing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to reverse the appellate court’s not guilty verdict for Democratic Party(DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and remand the case back for a retrial. 

DP Rep. Jung Chung-rae, chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, accused the chief justice of arrogance for informing parliament about his absence with a brief statement. 

People Power Party(PPP) Rep. Song Seog-jun said the chief justice did not need to provide a lengthy explanation, alluding that the Assembly's push to hold the hearing lacked merit.

As the hearing could not continue amid the absence of the justices, the DP ramped up pressure on the judiciary by introducing a bill to hold a special counsel investigation into the chief justice's alleged abuse of power and election interference.
 
The DP also transferred a bill to the panel's subcommittee aimed at increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, as well as another bill enabling a constitutional petition against the top court's decision.

The PPP protested the DP's move, accusing the party of trying to protect its presidential candidate from judicial risks.

The DP went a step further by approving a bill that would no longer prohibit candidates from making false statements about their behavior via speeches and broadcasts. 

If the bill is passed at a plenary session and becomes law, it would see Lee acquitted of spreading false information during the 2021 presidential campaign.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.