Former Judge Lee Su-jin "Judgments Will Become More Cautious After Impeachment"... Opposition Party "Clear Judicial Intimidation"

Lee Su-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Lee Sujin, a former judge and member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Seoul Dongjak-eul), sparked controversy on the 31st by urging the promotion of the "impeachment of judges involved in judicial corruption," saying, "After impeachment, judges' rulings will inevitably become more cautious." The People Power Party criticized Lee's remarks, stating that "the intention to intimidate judges is clearly revealed."

On the same day, Lee emphasized in a post on her Facebook, "From now on, the history of the judiciary will be divided into before and after the impeachment of judges," adding, "This marks a significant milestone as it signals the official start of judicial reform."

Lee asserted, "The National Assembly must fulfill its duty by passing the impeachment motion against judges," and warned, "If we fail to clear up past wrongdoings, it will hinder the future. Those resisting reform are anti-people forces."

Regarding criticism that the push for judge impeachment is an attempt to "tame the judiciary," Lee responded, "Judge impeachment is not about taming the judiciary. It is about returning the judiciary to the people," explaining, "It is about filtering out political judges who violated the Constitution and restoring judicial justice." She added, "The legislative and judicial branches will have a healthy tension."

Earlier, the Democratic Party decided to proceed with the impeachment motion against Lim Seonggeun, chief judge of the Busan High Court, who was involved in judicial corruption. If the impeachment motion passes in the National Assembly, it will be the first case in constitutional history.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Tanhee plans to officially propose the impeachment motion against Chief Judge Lim on February 1, the first day of the extraordinary session. This motion is co-sponsored not only by Democratic Party leader Lee Nakyeon and other party leaders but also by lawmakers from the Justice Party and the Open Democratic Party, and barring any special circumstances, it is expected to be approved in the plenary session.

Deputy Chief Judge Im Seong-geun, who is suspected of 'judicial farming manipulation.' / Photo by Yonhap News

In response, the People Power Party strongly criticized it as an "impeachment for the regime's benefit."

Spokesperson Bae Junyoung issued a statement on the 31st, saying, "Outwardly, it seems to punish judges' crimes, but in reality, no citizen is unaware of the ruling party's dark intention to choke the judges' breathing."

Regarding Lee's remarks, he pointed out, "It has become even clearer that judge impeachment is intended to intimidate judges who issue rulings against this regime," and criticized, "This reveals the intention that judge impeachment will influence court rulings and, furthermore, that there is a will to exert such influence."

Spokesperson Bae raised his voice, saying, "The Democratic Party itself proves that the claim of impeachment for the Constitution was a falsehood," and urged, "The Democratic Party, which is reversing the history of the judiciary, should awaken and regain reason."

Meanwhile, Chief Judge Lim is accused of interfering in the trial of a Japanese Sankei Shimbun reporter who was indicted for defamation after raising suspicions about former President Park Geunhye's "7-hour gap" during the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014.

Chief Judge Lim is currently undergoing a second trial. The first trial court acknowledged Lim's interference in the trial but acquitted him, stating that the charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights could not be applied.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.