The presidential office says that it has not discussed, and has no plans to discuss, the possible resignation of Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de.

Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sang-ho made the statement to reporters Tuesday at the presidential office after confusion arose Monday regarding the office's position on recent calls from the ruling party for Jo's resignation.

On Monday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung had stated that the top office had no particular position on the matter but agreed with the principle that when there are public demands for resignation, an appointed authority needs to reflect on the reasons behind those demands. 

The remark was widely interpreted as the presidential office signaling support for Jo’s resignation.

In an additional news briefing, Kang explained that her remarks were intended to express respect for the separation of powers and for elected authority, saying that if the National Assembly seeks to reflect the spirit of the Constitution and the will of the people through deliberation and discussion, priority should be placed on the authority elected by the people.