Ruling and Opposition Parties Simultaneously Fire Up Special Prosecutor Push and Chief Justice Impeachment

The ruling and opposition parties are pressing ahead with a special prosecutor probe and an impeachment drive simultaneously, pushing their legal confrontation to the extreme.

Background: Political Calculation Born of Slumping Approval Ratings

After the Democratic Party of Korea announced it would swiftly push forward the so-called "special prosecutor for the Yoon Suk-yeol government's fabricated indictments," it has also simultaneously started discussions on impeaching Chief Justice Jo Hee-de. According to Yonhap News, the move is interpreted as a strategy aimed at rallying the core base — a sure thing — at a time when neither the party nor the presidential office can escape their approval rating slump.

The same logic looms large behind the party's formalization of the impeachment push under leader Kim Min-seok. As hardliners openly clashed with President Lee Jae-myung over the appointment of first Corruption Investigation Office chief Kim Ji-yong, the party leadership appears to have calculated that creating an external point of attack was needed to prevent internal defections. Observers largely view it as uncertain whether the move will actually lead to an impeachment motion.

The opposition's offensive also comes with concrete evidence. The team of election commission special prosecutor Lee Tae-han detected additional signs of tax evasion by companies implicated in bid-rigging allegations over election supplies and requested a tax audit by the National Tax Service. With issues surrounding President Lee's own trial piled on top, both sides are now making legal risks a variable in governing the country.

Legal Issues: Guarding Against Abuse of Impeachment and Special Prosecutors

The core question is whether these legal tools are being used within their institutional purpose. Impeaching a Chief Justice is a last resort requiring serious grounds under the Constitution, and using rulings related to the election process as justification would make it hard to escape criticism that it amounts to political pressure on judicial independence. Even lawmakers from the Cho Kuk Innovation Party with judicial backgrounds, such as Rep. Cho Sung-jin, who prioritize judicial reform in legislation, push structural reforms like separating investigative and prosecutorial powers — showing that an impeachment-style approach is by no means the only option.

The special prosecutor's office has also been put to the fairness test. According to Yonhap News, the court rebuked the prosecution with remarks like "Have you actually read the statute?" and "We cannot proceed like this," citing serious flaws such as simple typos and omitted legal provisions. Of the 28 indictments, 21 have not even gone to trial yet. Concerns over sustaining the prosecutions are becoming reality. In line with voices like that of Rep. Jung Jae-hun of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, who prioritizes prosecution reform, calls are likely to grow for accountability over the quality of indictments.

Pros and Cons, and Political Fallout

On the 17th, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk attended in person a rally in front of Seoul's Gyodae Station in Seocho-gu calling for a fair special counsel investigation into the National Election Commission, escalating his offensive against President Lee: "Anyone who devotes everything to erasing his own trial rather than the lives and safety of the people has no right to sit in that seat." Analysts note the opposition is burning its cards by mobilizing street rallies to pressure for the completion of the special counsel probe.

There are also differences of temperature within the ruling camp. Many worry that while the impeachment push may be effective in rallying the base, it could drive away moderates. Whether the Kim Min-seok leadership goes as far as an actual motion, or pivots to alternative legislation such as election law revisions or prosecution reform, will be the litmus test.

Outlook: Confrontation Widening the Legislative Vacuum

In the short term, whether a motion to impeach Chief Justice Jo is filed will be the biggest variable in the political landscape in November. Since the Democratic Party plans to fast-track the "special prosecutor for the Yoon Suk-yeol government's fabricated indictments," follow-up legislation on the special counsel and impeachment discussions are likely to crowd out the National Assembly's schedule.

The concern is a vacuum in livelihood legislation. According to Yonhap News reporting, despite a string of domestic violence tragedies, 32 bills to strengthen perpetrator isolation and victim protection are sitting idle in the National Assembly. The more both parties focus on politically charged bills, the deeper these blind spots in basic legislation will become. As seen in the Government Affairs Committee audit, where concerns were raised about a balloon effect — costs being passed on through packaging fees and other charges if delivery app commission caps are introduced — calls are also growing that enforcement design matters more than the volume of legislation. If the confrontation continues on a purely political track, the year-end National Assembly scene of a massive backlog of unreviewed bills is highly likely to repeat.