Kim Min-seok: Impeachment on the Table if Chief Justice Cho Hee-de Doesn't Resign Voluntarily

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said at the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 14th that "the deadline for Chief Justice Cho Hee-de's voluntary resignation is not unlimited." The remark was interpreted as a warning that the party will consider impeachment proceedings if the chief justice refuses to step down. Kim said at the same meeting, "We are substantively reviewing every option to correct the Chief Justice's wrongdoing."

When asked whether Kim's remarks implied impeachment, Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Kye-won replied, "The gist is that we will not rule out impeachment." He added, "If he does not step down, we will consider measures including impeachment." Rep. Kim Ui-gwon, the party's secretary-general on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said on YouTube's 'Kim Ou-joon's Humility Is Difficult News Factory,' "Whether we like it or not, we are in a situation where there is no choice but to move toward impeaching Cho Hee-de."

The Democratic Party announced it would push to pass the Special Prosecutor Act on Fabricated Indictments as soon as the National Assembly audit concludes. President Lee Jae-myung asked the assembly at a press conference on the 18th of last month to remove the provision for withdrawing indictments and pass the bill, and the party has since been working toward a plenary vote. Along with the impeachment review, pressure on the judiciary is expected to translate into passage of the bill.