Chief justice to speak on 'toe government line' scandal today
Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Meong-su walks into the Supreme Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on Friday morning. / Yonhap
The Supreme Court chief justice will announce Friday what measures he will take against those implicated in allegations that the top court under his predecessor used trials as bargaining chips in its dealings with the presidential office, officials said.
An internal Supreme Court probe has revealed that the National Court Administration under the top court wrote a report in March 2015 on how to take advantage of high-profile cases in persuading senior presidential aides into supporting then-Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae's plan to establish a court of appeals.
The revelations sparked calls for those involved to be referred to the prosecution for criminal investigation.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Meong-su plans to issue a statement with regard to criminal measures against those involved, court officials said. Kim could either refer Yang and others directly to the prosecution or could simply state on the need for a strict investigation.
Yang has denied the accusations, arguing that there was no unfair interference in trials and that he never used them for bargaining. He also denied any disadvantage was meted out to judges who opposed his proposal to set up a court of appeals. (Yonhap)