Early last week, the representative judges from district courts agreed on the need to seek impeachment of sitting judges allegedly involved in former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae's schemes to conspire to lobby the office of then-President Park Geun-hye.

The decision was formally delivered to incumbent top court chief Kim Myeong-su.

Prosecutors believe Yang instructed his officials to interfere in certain trials with high political stakes and to deliver verdicts in Park's favor to gain her approval in return for the establishment of a separate court of appeals, his pet project.

"The content of the resolution seems to highlight that they are making a public statement that the allegations involving former Supreme Court officials amount to a clear violation of the Constitution, rather than to call for their impeachment," Ahn said.

Given that the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court have the authority to remove judges from office, the resolution is not legally binding, nor can it be seen as a formal proposal to the chief justice urging for any action, Ahn added.

"They have expressed their point of view that a Constitutional evaluation is necessary."

Political parties also remain divided over whether to push for the motion for impeachment.

Prosecutors have arrested and indicted a key man, also a former senior judge, in the scandal and questioned a number of ex-judges over the allegations, with the probe now closing in on Yang. (Yonhap)