PPP mounts defense of chief justice; Democratic Party vows probe, floats impeachment

Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do, Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-gyo and other Democratic Party lawmakers hold a press conference in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday to denounce Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae's refusal to re-nominate Supreme Court justices. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do, Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-gyo and other Democratic Party lawmakers hold a press conference in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday to denounce Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae's refusal to re-nominate Supreme Court justices. [Yonhap]

As political clashes intensify over Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae's refusal to re-nominate Supreme Court justices, concerns are growing that the deepening standoff could push prospects for cross-party cooperation on livelihood issues even further out of reach.

The Democratic Party of Korea has framed the dispute as a "judicial coup" and an act of "insurrection," mounting an all-out offensive against Jo. Even as internal divisions over the party's direction and recent slipping approval ratings persist, lawmakers across factional lines have united behind a hardline response.

At Wednesday's supreme council meeting, the Democratic Party's leadership launched a sweeping attack on Jo. Party leader Kim Min-seok called Jo's refusal to re-nominate "an unprecedented unconstitutional, unlawful and insurrectionary act" that was "fundamentally a work-to-rule action that disrespects the people," adding that the party would "use every power available to the National Assembly to investigate, summon, reprimand, hold legally accountable and seek correction."

Earlier, Kim appeared on the party's YouTube channel "Minti07" and sharply criticized the refusal as "a power-struggle game with the president," saying it had "the character of insurrection."

Floor Leader Han Byung-do also said "analysis has been raised suggesting there is political intent behind Chief Justice Jo's refusal to re-nominate," adding: "I hope it is an unfounded concern, but if true, it would disqualify him as chief justice."

The Democratic Party announced it would summon Jo as a witness at next month's National Assembly national audit, while also signaling a renewed push for judicial reform.

Calls for Jo's impeachment, which had receded from view, resurfaced within parts of the party. Rep. Park Ji-won of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that Jo "must be impeached," arguing that "removal from office is the goal, but his duties must be suspended immediately."

The party leadership, however, is taking a cautious stance on pursuing impeachment for now. Kim said on the party broadcast that "the process of helping the public understand and being persuaded is also very important, so we will proceed step by step."

Later Wednesday, Democratic Party lawmakers made a protest visit to the Supreme Court and held a press conference denouncing Jo. Chief Spokesperson Park Seong-jun told reporters after the supreme council meeting that "the refusal to re-nominate on Tuesday was itself a political act, and there is a need to make this widely known to the public."

The People Power Party, meanwhile, mounted a defense of Jo. The PPP argued that if the president selectively submits confirmation requests for only some of the nominated justice candidates, it would in effect nullify the chief justice's nomination authority and block the National Assembly from exercising its confirmation power.

PPP Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that Cheong Wa Dae had expressed regret over Jo's refusal while noting that "six months have passed since former Justice Noh Tae-ak retired" and voicing concern over the prolonged vacancy. Jeong called this "quintessentially hypocritical behavior typical of the Lee Jae Myung administration."

The PPP had filed a petition with the Constitutional Court on Monday, arguing that President Lee's demand for re-nomination infringed on the constitutional authority of the National Assembly. The party contended that Lee's demand violated lawmakers' right to deliberate and vote on Supreme Court justice confirmation requests, as well as the Assembly's broader confirmation authority.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok also held an emergency press conference, saying the refusal was "an entirely appropriate decision under the Constitution and the best choice available to the chief justice," and that "Chief Justice Jo has shown an unwavering commitment to protecting the independence of the judiciary."


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