Kim Ki-pyo: "Shin Jung-sik lacks the qualifications to be chief justice"

The Cho Kuk Innovation Party decided on the 12th to formally pursue the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-de, accusing him of interfering in President Lee Jae-myung's trial, while also demanding judicial reforms including the dismantling of the National Court Administration.

Shin Jung-sik, the party's leader, pointed out that Chief Justice Cho had seriously violated President Lee Jae-myung's right to a fair trial, breached his duty of political neutrality, and deliberately intervened in the election. He described this as a "judicial coup disguised as legal technicality." Regarding the controversy over the nomination of Supreme Court justices, he argued that Chief Justice Cho had infringed on the president's appointment power by pushing his own standards. On the controversy over cash payments to justices, Shin claimed that Cho "misused corporate credit cards, falsified the records, and made false reports to the National Assembly."

Shin Jung-sik argued for the dismantling of the National Court Administration, saying, "Removing one chief justice will not set the judiciary's future right. The laws and institutions must ultimately be changed." The Innovation Party has already introduced a bill to abolish the National Court Administration and establish a collegial body called the Judicial Administration Committee. Shin urged, "We ask the Democratic Party to pass the revision to the Court Organization Act within this regular session," adding, "There must be no further delay."

An impeachment motion against the chief justice requires initiation by at least one-third of the National Assembly's members and approval by a majority of the total membership. Park Byung-eon, the Innovation Party's spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting, "Our party alone does not meet the initiation threshold, so the motion must go through a coordination process such as joint initiation or initiation by both parties." He added that, upon observing the chief justice's refusal to renominate the justices, the party concluded there was no alternative to impeachment.