"We hope the chief justice will respect the recommendations of the nomination committee and proceed as swiftly as possible so that citizens' right to a fair trial is not infringed"
Cheong Wa Dae reaffirmed Tuesday its position that Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae should move swiftly to re-nominate Supreme Court justices, after Jo again insisted that neither the National Assembly nor the president may interfere in the chief justice's nomination authority.
Presidential Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung was asked at a briefing whether Cheong Wa Dae had a position on Jo's assertion at the national audit that Assembly involvement in the nomination process was unconstitutional. She said the presidential office's stance had not changed. "We hope the chief justice will respect the recommendations of the nomination committee and proceed with the re-nomination process as swiftly as possible so that citizens' right to a fair trial is not infringed," she said.
Jo appeared before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's national audit of the Supreme Court earlier Tuesday, where he said in his opening remarks that requiring the chief justice to testify about justice nominations "risks undermining the principle of separation of powers and judicial independence in light of the spirit of the Constitution." He then attempted to leave the chamber, as is customary, but Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Seo Young-gyo of the Democratic Party of Korea refused to grant him permission.
Cheong Wa Dae also said President Lee Jae Myung hosted a lunch with acting Prosecution Service Director General Lee Jeong-hyeon, acting Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Director Jeon Jong-min and acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol after chairing a Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning.
Lee was widely expected to have urged the officials to work together to ensure the new criminal justice system takes root as the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Service get off the ground.
ehkim@heraldcorp.com
