Cho Hee-dae to Face Parliamentary Audit as Witness... Ruling Bloc Pushes Through Selection

[Financial News] The Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly selected Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae of the Supreme Court of Korea as a witness for the parliamentary audit on the 28th. People Power Party lawmakers walked out before the vote, allowing a motion demanding Chief Justice Cho's attendance as a witness to pass under the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea and other members of the ruling bloc.
The committee held a plenary meeting that day and passed a motion requesting the attendance of witnesses and reference persons, including Chief Justice Cho, at the parliamentary audit. The Supreme Court's audit is scheduled for the sixth of next month.
At a parliamentary audit of the Supreme Court, the chief justice traditionally delivers opening remarks and then leaves, while the head of the National Court Administration answers questions. During last year's audit, Chief Justice Cho neither took the witness oath nor answered questions from Democratic Party lawmakers, and left an hour later.
The Democratic Party of Korea plans to question Chief Justice Cho over his refusal to comply with a request to re-nominate a Supreme Court justice candidate, while the People Power Party strongly criticized the move as a violation of the separation of powers.
Seo Young-kyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker and chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said, "The head of the National Court Administration called the then-existing Supreme Court justice nominees and pressured them to resign." She added, "We need to summon the chief justice and ask him about it." Kim Ki-pyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker, stated, "The account is that he became furious when told that the National Court Administration was right to make the recommendation and said he would not make a new recommendation." He added, "It is right to summon the chief justice and ask, 'Why did you refuse?'"
By contrast, People Power Party lawmakers protested, arguing that President Lee Jae Myung should be called as a witness. In a statement on parliamentary proceedings before walking out, lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun emphasized, "President Lee Jae Myung requested a new recommendation without any constitutional basis or justification. That is the problem, so the president should be called as a witness." Lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu pointed out, "There is no justification for this other than an intention to humiliate and pressure the chief justice into resigning. There has never been a precedent for summoning a chief justice for questioning, and this is a clear infringement on judicial power."
Earlier, Chief Justice Cho recommended Supreme Court justice nominee Son Bong-gi to President Lee Jae Myung for appointment, but the presidential office requested a new recommendation. Cho then pushed back, saying, "I cannot comply with the request for a new recommendation," while the presidential office expressed regret, saying this would undermine the president's power to appoint. On his way to work at the Supreme Court building on the 28th, Chief Justice Cho also told reporters that he would state his position on the dispute over the new recommendation through the parliamentary audit.
Meanwhile, the committee also selected Bom Kim, CEO of Woowa Brothers, as a witness for the parliamentary audit. It plans to question the issue of foreign delivery riders working illegally.

[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter