Cho Hee-dae's 'Refusal to Re-recommend a Supreme Court Justice' Draws Immediate Backlash from Broader Ruling Bloc: "Judicial Coup... He Must Resign Now"

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea and the broader ruling bloc immediately protested after Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae refused Cheong Wa Dae's request to re-recommend a Supreme Court justice. They characterized Cho's refusal that day as a "judicial coup" and demanded his resignation.
Democratic Party of Korea, RKP, and Progressive Party lawmakers on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference at the National Assembly and criticized Chief Justice Cho's refusal to comply with the request to re-recommend a Supreme Court justice, calling it "a judicial coup following Yoon Suk Yeol's December 3 coup."
They said, "It directly denies the president's constitutional power of appointment and constitutes a political act by the chief justice as well as a violation of the judiciary's duty of political neutrality." They argued, "The fact that the appointment power of a president elected by the people is hollowed out by the recommendation of the chief justice of an unelected institution is inconsistent with the principle of democratic legitimacy."
They then questioned the National Court Administration, saying, "The National Court Administration was the very body that undermined procedural validity and fairness. Having undermined on its own a matter that should have been handled within the bounds of the law, is it now invoking formalistic reasoning?"
They also pointed out, "Taking advantage of the president's absence from the country and issuing a fragmentary refusal bound by formalistic reasoning is a rejection of the most basic duty owed to the people. Judicial independence means independence in adjudication and exists to protect the basic rights of the people. It is not a shield for the judiciary itself to escape democratic oversight."
They lashed out, saying, "The president's request to re-recommend a justice in the face of an obvious procedural defect was a legitimate procedural exercise of the constitutional power of appointment." They added, "Chief Justice Cho must face the fact that the prolonged vacancy on the Supreme Court will ultimately harm the people."
They also announced that they would fully disclose the facts surrounding Chief Justice Cho's refusal to comply with the request to re-recommend a Supreme Court justice and other related matters at the upcoming parliamentary audit by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
Seo Young-kyo, chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters after the press conference, "The position of Supreme Court justice is vacant. Failing to recommend a Supreme Court justice for hundreds of days is a violation of the Constitution and the law." She added, "Nominating Judge Son Bong-gi as a candidate for Supreme Court justice without consulting the president is also an unconstitutional rejection of the president's power of appointment."
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok criticized Chief Justice Cho at a budget policy consultation meeting held at Incheon City Hall that afternoon, saying, "What an absurd chief justice." He continued, "Whether he truly does not know, is pretending not to know, or is deliberately ignoring it and engaging in a power struggle with the president, or ignoring the president and the people, it is simply utterly absurd."
Kim said, "Is it constitutional when Chief Justice Cho does it, but unconstitutional when the president and the people do it? I hope he will return to common sense and reason."
The head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's Innovation Policy Research Institute also joined the criticism, calling it "an arrogant political act by legal elites" and saying, "As the RKP advocates, we must swiftly carry out institutional reforms to eliminate the harm caused by an imperial chief justice."
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter