Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Chief Justice Cho's Refusal to Resubmit Justice Nomination

The ruling and opposition parties continued their war of words on the 24th, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, over Chief Justice Cho Hee-de's declaration that he would refuse to resubmit the appointment bill for Supreme Court justice nominees.

The People Power Party pushed back against what it called the government and ruling party's "threats and taming" of Chief Justice Cho. Pointing out that the government and ruling party were considering forming a special investigation headquarters as a follow-up body to the insurrection case, People Power Party floor leader Jung Chung-sik argued on Facebook on the 24th that "this is an open threat to Chief Justice Cho." He mocked, "By the Blue House-style logic, insurrection forces must still remain to the point that a special investigation is needed — yet in this grave situation, President Lee Jae-myung has taken as many as 14 overseas trips." He went on to criticize, "The 'insurrection' the Democratic Party keeps chanting is nothing but a political label they slap on anyone they dislike."

In a statement, Choi Soo-jin, the party's chief deputy floor spokesperson, criticized: "Kicking aside the Chief Justice's lawful nomination and demanding that a more palatable candidate be put forward is clearly an attempt to tame the judiciary," adding, "Do they intend to go down in history as having destroyed the embankment of the separation of powers for the sake of personal safety and partisan interests?"