Ruling Bloc Continues to Press Cho Hee-dae to Resign... "Impeachment Motion Already Prepared"

Pro-Government Bloc Holds Impeachment Hearing
Jeong Cheongrae: "He Must Clarify His Position"
Calls for a Second Round of Judicial Reform

Within the Democratic Party of Korea and other pro-government groups, calls are intensifying for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.

The Fair Society Forum in the National Assembly, led by Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Yongmin and Min Hyungbae, held a public hearing at the National Assembly on March 4 under the theme "The Necessity and Urgency of Impeaching Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae."

Yonhap News Agency

Choi Hyukjin, an independent lawmaker who presided over the discussion, stated, "The judiciary must guarantee the basic rights of the people and serve as an impartial arbiter of the law, unwavering in the face of any power. The authority vested in the Chief Justice, who stands at the pinnacle, is immense, and so, too, is the corresponding responsibility. The impeachment of Chief Justice Cho is a historic issue that questions how the principles of authority and responsibility should operate within the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea."

At the hearing, lawmaker Min said, "An impeachment motion for Chief Justice Cho has already been prepared," adding, "Impeachment is the only way forward."

Attorney Baek Juseon, who gave a presentation at the event, described as "unusual" the Supreme Court's decision in May of last year to remand President Lee Jaemyung's violation of the Public Official Election Act case for retrial with a guilty verdict, just nine days after it was referred to the full bench. He argued that the Supreme Court infringed upon the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, he claimed there was an intent to directly affect the eligibility and political fate of a major candidate just ahead of the presidential election, pointing out, "This could be seen as a serious violation of popular sovereignty."

Attorney Baek also criticized the silence of the Supreme Court during the 12·3 Martial Law, when the constitutional order was under direct threat, calling it "a grave omission contrary to its duty as a constitutional trustee." Additionally, he argued that Chief Justice Cho's Supreme Court delayed trials related to insurrection, blocked the three judicial reform bills, and protected vested interests, insisting that impeachment is necessary.

He especially emphasized that with local elections scheduled for June 3, "Having Chief Justice Cho make the final decisions on election-related cases is a critical risk factor for election fairness," and stated, "To ensure the fairness of the local elections, the preventive function (of impeachment) should be actively utilized."

The Democratic Party leadership has also been stepping up its criticism of the Cho Hee-dae judiciary. Party leader Jeong Cheongrae said at the Supreme Council meeting, "Is he acting as the head of the resistance against judicial reform? Chief Justice Cho is not only incompetent and ignorant as the head of the judiciary, but also goes against the sentiments of the people. It is intolerable to witness such conduct from Chief Justice Cho." He further pressed for Cho's resignation, saying, "There is a proper timing for resignation. I hope he will announce his intentions."

Supreme Council member Lee Sungyun also pressured Chief Justice Cho to resign at the meeting, warning, "If you ignore the people and resist court reform, you will eventually face impeachment proceedings."

However, the party officially drew a line, stating that it is not pursuing impeachment. Chief spokesperson Park Soo-hyun told reporters after the meeting, "Today's hearing is not an official National Assembly hearing, but essentially a discussion forum," and dismissed the matter by saying, "The party leadership has never discussed or planned the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho."

There are growing calls among some lawmakers for a second round of judicial reform, but the party maintains there are no concrete plans. Proposed bills for the so-called "second judicial reform" include the amendment to the Attorney-at-Law Act, which restricts former high-ranking legal officials from registering as attorneys for three years after retirement, and the abolition of the Court Administration Office. On this, chief spokesperson Park said, "There are currently no plans for follow-up judicial reform."

Meanwhile, on his way to work the previous morning, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae virtually expressed his opposition regarding the "three judicial reform bills" passed by the National Assembly, led by the Democratic Party, stating, "I ask that you carefully reconsider until the very end whether such a sudden upheaval benefits the people or contains any harmful elements."

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