Korea Enforces Distorting the Law Crime as Top Court Chief Faces Complaint

On the first day of enforcement of Korea’s new crime of distorting the law, the chief justice of the Supreme Court faced a police complaint over a ruling connected to the case of Lee Jae-myung and his alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. The complaint targets Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and Park Young-jae, the former head of the Court Administration Office, and alleges they distorted the Criminal Procedure Act in connection with the remand ruling.

The complaint was filed today by attorney Lee Byung-cheol, who told reporters he has asked police to punish Cho and Park under the new law. He argues that Cho distorted the Criminal Procedure Act when he issued a remand decision in the Lee Jae-myung case.

The filing was submitted through the National Civil Complaints Service on the 2nd, before the new offense came into effect. The National Investigation Headquarters assigned the case to the Yongin Western Police Station, which handles investigations in the area where the attorney resides.

The Yongin Western Police Station said it would verify whether the complainant wants an official investigation and would schedule an investigation if requested. The attorney contends that police are unwilling to investigate and that they lack sufficient legal understanding, and he has also submitted the same complaint to the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Office, known as the anti-corruption body.

The new offense, described as a crime of distorting the law, took effect on its first day of enforcement. Advocates say the law aims to deter public officials from misinterpreting or misapplying laws in ways that could influence outcomes of government decisions and high-profile cases.

For international readers, the development matters because South Korea’s judiciary and anti-corruption mechanisms have global implications. South Korea is a leading technology and manufacturing hub with deep ties to U.S. supply chains and markets. Legal disputes involving top courts and high-ranking officials can affect investor confidence, regulatory expectations, and the stability of governance that underpins cross-border business, licensing, and joint tech ventures.

Context for non-Korean audiences: the case centers on the Public Official Election Act and a ruling remanding the Lee Jae-myung matter. The entities involved include the National Investigation Headquarters (the state body coordinating major investigations), Yongin Western Police Station (the local police unit handling the matter), and the National Civil Complaints Service (the portal used for filing the complaint). The complaint also references the anti-corruption office charged with overseeing crimes by high-ranking public officials. The situation is developing as police review the new law’s application in a high-profile judicial matter.