Top court says its justices will not appear for parliamentary hearing on Lee's retrial

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae arrives at the court in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The Supreme Court said Monday its justices will not attend a parliamentary hearing regarding the retrial of Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, saying it's inappropriate to participate in matters related to an ongoing case.

The court conveyed its decision to the National Assembly ahead of the hearing scheduled for Wednesday, as the parliament seeks to delve into the top court's recent ruling that ordered a retrial of Lee, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict for Lee over alleged election law violations.

The DPK-controlled Assembly has accused the Supreme Court of rushing the proceedings to hand down a swift verdict on Lee, which it claims influence the upcoming June 3 election.

"It's problematic in many ways for justices to attend a hearing related to a trial," a Supreme Court official said. "We confirmed that this position has been relayed to the National Assembly."

The DP has called on Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to resign, accusing Cho of meddling in the election.

The Assembly's legislation and judiciary committee has requested that Cho and about a dozen justices and court officials appear at the hearing. (Yonhap)