Opposition parties urge Supreme Court judge to quit over scandal

(ATTN: UPDATES with Shin's comments in paras 10-11, 18)
SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Friday
called on a Supreme Court justice to resign for allegedly attempting to influence
junior judges in cases dealing with protesters arrested during last year's
anti-U.S. beef rallies.
Supreme Court justice Shin Young-chul is accused of sending several confidential
emails to junior judges between October and November of 2008 while serving as
head of the Seoul Central District Court. In his emails, Shin allegedly asked the
judges to speed up criminal trials involving individuals arrested during the
months-long candlelight demonstrations against Seoul's decision to resume U.S.
beef imports.
Prosecutors indicted more than 1,000 protesters on charges of organizing or
participating in the nighttime rallies that rocked the country last year. Under
current law, nighttime outdoor demonstrations are banned. Last year's
demonstrations against U.S. beef imports erupted in late-night street marches and
clashes with police.
Opposition lawmakers insist Shin's emails could be interpreted as an attempt to
intervene in court trials by junior judges, some of whom had refused to proceed
with the hearings citing the potential unconstitutionality of the law barring
nighttime outdoor rallies.
Shin, promoted to the Supreme Court last month, said that he had not intended to
meddle in the trials and would cooperate in the probe launched by the Supreme
Court.
"The Supreme Court should carry out a thorough investigation and seek strict
accountability (for any wrongdoings)," Rep. Chung Sye-kyun, head of the DP, said
at a meeting of party leaders.
Chung also said that Shin should make a conscious decision as to whether he
should stay in office or resign, questioning how a head judge could order
individual judges on how to handle trials.
Rep. Lee Hoi-chang, head of the conservative opposition Liberty Forward Party,
also described Shin's alleged involvement as "inappropriate."
"There cannot be any meddling by the head of a court in any trial proceedings,"
Lee, a former Supreme Court judge, said in a meeting of party staffers.
In a telephone interview Yonhap News Agency, Shin downplayed allegations of any
wrongdoing and argued that his only intent was to advise judges to conduct trials
based on current laws.
"I'm a person who is familiar with using email," said Shin when asked whether it
was appropriate of him to send the emails in question. He said that he often uses
it to communicate with co-workers.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon said that it is difficult to determine
whether junior judges would be affected by an email from a senior judge.
"There shouldn't be any judges affected by such (emails). Judges are supposed to
rule in accordance with their own consciences," Lee told reporters at the Supreme
Court.
One of Shin's emails sent to the judges briefly mentioned a meeting with Lee in
October 2008, where the chief justice was quoted as saying that it would be
desirable for trial proceedings to be carried out without being interrupted.
The meeting took place after one of the judges petitioned the Constitutional
Court to rule on the legitimacy of the law banning nighttime outdoor
demonstrations. The following day, another judge suspended a trial and allowed
two defendants to be released on bail.
"The petition was made based on the judge's own conscience, but those who think
that the law is legitimate should continue with the trials," said Lee when asked
whether it was inappropriate for Shin to send emails after the petition was sent
to the Constitutional Court.
Lee also said that he did not see any reason for an investigation into him simply
because he was mentioned in one of the emails.
Shin argued that the court procedures for the cases, which were not directly
related to Constitutional Court petitions, were supposed to be continued
regardless of his emails.
Representatives from the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a
Seoul-based civic group, visited the Supreme Court to file a complaint regarding
Shin's email and demanded a full-fledged investigation.
"An investigative committee involving legislators, legal experts and civic groups
should be launched as even the chief justice is suspected of having been involved
in the scandal," the group said in a statement.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)