Democratic Party Urges Chief Justice Cho to Resign Over Refusal to Re-nominate Justice
When Chief Justice Cho Hee-dee refused on the 22nd to re-submit a Supreme Court justice nominee for reappointment (the procedure of again requesting presidential appointment for a candidate already approved by the National Assembly), Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok denounced the move as that of an 'absurd Chief Justice' and urged Cho to step down immediately. The refusal stems from the presidential office's rejection of the nomination of justice candidate Son Bong-gi on August 28, citing 'insufficient procedural completeness' and requesting re-nomination. In a statement, Chief Justice Cho countered that the official letter contained no specific reasons or constitutional grounds.
Speaking at a budget policy consultation meeting at Incheon City Hall, Kim Min-seok said, "Is this a power struggle with the president, or sheer disregard for the president and the people? It is truly absurd." He argued that the grounds for re-nomination are clear. "What clearer basis is there than the Constitution's grant of appointment power over Supreme Court justices to the president?" he said, adding, "Is it constitutional when he does it, but unconstitutional when the president and the people do it?"
Floor leader Han Byung-do also criticized the refusal decision on Facebook that day. "Demanding that the president appoint exactly the candidate nominated by the Chief Justice would render powerless the appointment authority of a president elected by the sovereign people," he argued. Regarding Cho's claim that the letter 'lacked specific reasons,' Han called it "linguistic tyranny" and said, "The Chief Justice is dragging down the independence and authority of the judiciary with his own hands." He urged Cho to "swiftly re-submit the Supreme Court justice nominee."
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and the Progressive Party on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference at the Assembly on the 22nd, denouncing the move as a "judicial coup." "With each Supreme Court justice handling some 4,000 cases a year, the vacancy on the bench is infringing on the public's right to trial," they said, adding, "The Chief Justice must face the fact that prolonging the vacancy on the Supreme Court will come back to haunt the people."
Democratic Party spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said in a written briefing, "Chief Justice Cho committed a coup-like act by flatly denying the president's authority while the president was out of the country." "He has laid bare his imperial judicial mindset that the Chief Justice's nomination power trumps the president's appointment authority," Lee added. "Chief Justice Cho must resign immediately."
