With the implementation of the "Judicial Reform Three Laws" on the 12th, Chief Justice Cho Heedae has been reported to the police on suspicion of violating the "crime of distortion of law." The allegation is that, during the Supreme Court's review of President Lee Jaemyung's public official election law violation case, Chief Justice Cho intentionally distorted the outcome by failing to properly review the extensive trial records.

According to the legal community, attorney Lee Byungcheol of Law Firm IA filed a complaint with the National Police Agency on the 2nd, accusing Chief Justice Cho and former Supreme Court Administrative Office Chief Park Youngjae (Supreme Court Justice) of violating Article 123-2 (Crime of Distortion of Law) of the Criminal Act. Attorney Lee stated, "I filed the complaint in advance so that an immediate investigation could proceed in line with the effective date of the law."

Chief judges from courts nationwide are entering the closed-door regular national chief judges' meeting room at Forest Resom in Jecheon, Chungbuk on the afternoon of the 12th to discuss follow-up measures following the implementation of the 'Judicial 3 Acts' (Crimes of Legal Distortion, Trial Petition, and Expansion of Supreme Court Justices). This meeting will continue until the 13th. Yonhap News

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The core of the complaint is that the Supreme Court failed its duty to thoroughly review the roughly 70,000 pages of trial records in writing. Attorney Lee argued, "Chief Justice Cho and others, despite knowing which laws should be applied to protect the rights and interests of President Lee Jaemyung, intentionally failed to apply them, thereby influencing the outcome of the trial." He claimed this constitutes a serious crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Previously, in March last year, after President Lee, then Democratic Party presidential candidate, was acquitted in the second trial of his election law violation case, the Supreme Court referred the case to the full bench on April 22—about a month later—and decided to overturn and remand the case in May. This prompted some to criticize the process as an "unusually expedited review."

The "crime of distortion of law," which took effect under the Criminal Act from this day, stipulates that any judge or prosecutor handling a criminal case who distorts and applies the law to grant unlawful or unjust benefits or to harm others' rights and interests, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 10 years or by suspension of qualifications for up to 10 years.