[4] After 6 years of term as associate justice in South Korean Supreme Court, Cho Hee-dae turned his eye to academia and began academic career as endowed chair professor at Sungkyunkwan University Law School from 2020.

However, in October, when President Yoon's close friend judge Lee Gyun-ryong failed to be confirmed by the National Assembly due to his strongly conservative views and problems around family assets, the President had to look for candidates that can also satisfy Democratic Party of Korea, which held a majority in the National Assembly.

Known as a moderately-conservative judge, Cho had a favourable public image because he did not serve as a private attorney after retiring from Supreme Court associate justice, which made him free from problems of Jeon-gwan ye-u, a somewhat common problem in South Korean judiciary that retired high level government lawyers using their former public career and network to pursue their own secular interests.

[6] On 8 December 2023, as Cho Hee-Dae had no problems of personal issues including Jeon-gwan ye-u, his nomination was approved by a 264-18 vote in the National Assembly.

[7] Upon congressional confirmation, and President Yoon appointed Cho as 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea.