Hard-line Democrats argue impeaching Chief Justice Cho Hee-de is the best option

As the Democratic Party of Korea announced it would first consider a parliamentary investigation before moving to impeach Chief Justice Cho Hee-de, voices have erupted from within the party, particularly among hard-liners, calling for it to skip the investigation and proceed immediately with an impeachment motion. Cho Kye-won, the Democratic Party's spokesperson, told reporters after the party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 21st, "We are also considering a parliamentary investigation as a step to confirm the specific grounds for impeachment after the National Assembly audit." He added, "We need time to share the rationale and grounds for impeachment with the public."

The Rebuilding Korea Party also pressured the Democrats. Kim Jun-hyung, the party's floor leader, met with Han Byung-do, his Democratic counterpart, on Tuesday morning to deliver the Rebuilding Korea Party's impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cho, demanding the Democrats make their position clear before October 31, when First Lady Kim Keon-hee's detention period expires. The party also sent a letter to all Democratic lawmakers urging them to join the impeachment effort.

Meanwhile, there is considerable opposition to impeachment itself within the party. Lee Yeon-hee, a first-term lawmaker aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, said on MBC's "News Wide Angle" on Tuesday, "If we impeach even the Chief Justice, the head of the judiciary, the public will likely see it as the Democratic Party acting unilaterally and running amok." She flatly ruled out the parliamentary investigation as well, saying, "I don't expect it to uncover any new legal violations or serious issues."