The Dilemma of Kim Myeong-su for Both Ruling and Opposition Parties

Opposition Pushes for Resignation but Lacks Alternatives
Ruling Party Emphasizes Legitimacy of Im Seong-geun's Impeachment Proposal

Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo is arriving at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Koo Chae-eun, Geum Bo-ryeong] The political sphere appears to be caught in a dilemma over the issue of ‘Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo.’ The opposition party, the People Power Party, is demanding his resignation through a one-person relay protest, but they are struggling as they have no alternative plan for after his resignation. Considering the number of seats, the impeachment card against Chief Justice Kim was abandoned early on. The ruling party is focusing on quelling the controversy but finds it difficult to fully commit to ‘defending Kim Myung-soo’ for fear of a potential public backlash.

On the morning of the 8th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, held a one-person protest in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, holding a placard demanding Chief Justice Kim’s resignation. The protest started on the 5th with Representative Kim Ki-hyun and was continued by Floor Leader Joo on this day. At the emergency committee meeting, Floor Leader Joo directly stated, "If you still have a shred of conscience, please stop tarnishing the honor and independence of the judiciary and resign."

Although pressure for resignation continues, the real problem is that the opposition party lacks alternatives after his resignation. If Chief Justice Kim voluntarily resigns, the successor will be appointed by President Moon Jae-in. Since the Chief Justice’s term is six years, the new Chief Justice appointed by President Moon could lead the court into the next administration. Representative Kim Ki-hyun appeared on the radio that day and said, "Even if we submit an impeachment motion, the Democratic Party will obviously reject it, and if that happens, it would actually help the ruling party, so there is a dilemma."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is urging Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo to resign in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

On the other hand, the Democratic Party is emphasizing the legitimacy of the ‘impeachment motion against Presiding Judge Lim Seong-geun,’ which was the starting point of the controversy over Chief Justice Kim’s alleged lies. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Soo-jin, a former judge, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "It is against principle to take issue with a private conversation being recorded and treated as if it were officially disclosed by the Supreme Court." Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, also said in a phone interview, "Looking at the transcript of the recording (of the conversation between Presiding Judge Lim and the Chief Justice), it is not a violation of the separation of powers but rather a statement that the legislative branch’s authority should not be infringed upon," interpreting it as "an expression of the position that the separation of powers should be upheld and respected."

Within the Democratic Party, there is also a sense of caution in responding, acknowledging that Chief Justice Kim provided some pretext. A ruling party lawmaker with a legal background said, "It is correct that a judge who is indicted and disciplined cannot have their resignation accepted, but it is regrettable that the term ‘political sphere’ was used directly," adding, "It would have been better to simply convey that resignations are generally difficult to accept outside of personnel seasons." The Democratic Party leadership is focusing criticism on Presiding Judge Lim’s act of releasing the transcript but is refraining from making public statements, seemingly waiting for public sentiment to calm down.

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