Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae sparks controversy by refusing to comply with the request to resubmit the nomination for Supreme Court justice

Concerns are growing inside and outside the judiciary as Chief Justice Cho Heedae of the Supreme Court refuses the Blue House's request to renominate candidates for Supreme Court justice. It appears that, in a situation where the followup procedure is unclear when the President does not accept a nominated candidate, Chief Justice Cho has judged that there is no constitutional basis for the request to renominate the candidates. This decision was announced shortly after President Lee left to attend the U.N. General Assembly, sparking controversy over the timing. The fact that he met the President facetoface at a Blue House event the day before but did not mention the matter is also fueling political interpretations. Inside the court, concerns are being raised that the conflict over procedure could drag on. In the past, there have also been personnel disputes between the Chief Justice and the Blue House, but since there have been many cases in which such issues were resolved through prior coordination, there is speculation that this incident could create a greater ripple effect.