Judges’ council postpones ruling amid election concerns

Judicial representatives met to address the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s violation of the Public Official Election Act but postponed any decision, agreeing to reconvene after the election.

The National Judges’ Representative Council held an extraordinary two-hour meeting on the morning of May 26 at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. In a statement, the council said “supplementary discussions and resolutions on the agenda will be addressed at the next meeting.” Of the 126 judge representatives, roughly 87 to 90 attended, either in person or online.

During the meeting, five additional agenda items were introduced and approved, expanding on the two previously adopted: “Concerns About the Violation of Judicial Independence” and “Ensuring the Fairness of Trials.” Among the new items were a motion to question the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lee’s case and a proposal to issue a response to the Democratic Party’s criticism of the judiciary.

However, the council opted not to vote on the agenda, citing concerns that taking a formal position could sway the upcoming presidential election. “There was concern that taking a formal position through a vote might influence the election,” a council official said.


김자현 기자 zion37@donga.com