Unprecedented 'Chief Justice Hearing'... Ruling Party Aims to Complete Judicial Reform by November

by Moon Hyewon

Published 23 Sep.2025 10:55(KST)

Han Ducksoo and Ji Guyoun Also Listed as Witnesses

With the unprecedented decision by the National Assembly to summon the Chief Justice to testify at a parliamentary hearing, the confrontation over "judicial reform" is escalating into a full-blown conflict.

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is attending the opening ceremony of the "2025 Sejong International Conference" held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News

According to political circles on the 23rd, at the plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held the previous day, the Democratic Party of Korea and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party abruptly tabled and passed a plan to hold an "emergency hearing on suspicions of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's intervention in the presidential election." The vote was carried out under the leadership of the Democratic Party and the Innovation Party after members of the People Power Party walked out. It is known that this decision was made at the committee level without prior consultation with the Democratic Party's floor leadership.

This hearing is intended to have Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae testify before the National Assembly to question the appropriateness of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn and remand the verdict in favor of then-presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung under the Public Official Election Act. The witness list includes Chief Justice Cho, the Supreme Court justices involved in the remand decision at the time, former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, and Judge Ji Guyoun, who presided over the insurrection case of former President Yoon Sukyeol. The "Cho Hee-dae hearing" is scheduled for the 30th. Assemblywoman Seo Youngkyo of the Democratic Party stated, "How can the people trust the Supreme Court, which remanded the Lee Jaemyung case in just one day?"

At the Sejong International Conference on the 22nd, Chief Justice Cho remarked, "King Sejong did not use the law as a tool of power," indirectly criticizing the Democratic Party's judicial reform efforts. However, the Democratic Party countered, with floor spokesperson Kim Hyunjung calling it "the arrogant sophistry of the person who decided on Yoon Sukyeol's release." Lawmakers such as Na Kyungwon and other People Power Party members of the Judiciary Committee announced that they would consider all possible responses, including criminal complaints and petitions to the Constitutional Court.

There are also signs that the ruling party leadership is seeking to moderate the pace. On the 22nd, Kim Byungki, floor leader of the Democratic Party, stated, "Rather than rushing to establish a special court for insurrection cases, we will process it after sufficient discussion and building public consensus," and added, "The judicial reform pursued by the party will be addressed in November." This is a somewhat delayed timeline compared to the schedule previously presented by party leader Jeong Cheongrae, who had aimed to complete the three major reforms (prosecution, media, and judiciary) before Chuseok.