Cho Hee-dae Calls Question About Dreaming of Becoming a Second Yoon Suk Yeol "Insulting and Sad"

[Financial News] Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae said at a Supreme Court parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly on Oct. 6 that it was "insulting and somewhat sad" when asked by a lawmaker, "Are you dreaming of becoming a second Yoon Suk Yeol?"
Chief Justice Cho made the remark while responding to a question from Son Sol of the Progressive Party during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's parliamentary audit at the National Assembly that day.
Son asked Chief Justice Cho, "Many people are asking whether you are engaging in politics while wearing judicial robes. Are you perhaps dreaming of becoming a second Yoon Suk Yeol?" Chief Justice Cho responded in front of the microphone with a stern expression, saying the remark was insulting. People Power Party lawmakers then lodged vehement protests.
Chief Justice Cho declined to answer lawmakers' questions about allegations surrounding the renewed recommendation of a Supreme Court justice, saying, "I stated at the outset that I could not take the oath or testify." He also drew a line when asked by Park Gyun-taek, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, about when a ruling would be issued in the case involving Kim Keon Hee, which had been referred to the Supreme Court's en banc panel. "I ask for your understanding that I cannot comment on matters related to the trial," he said.
Chief Justice Cho, who had been designated as a regular witness for the parliamentary audit, maintained his previous position in his opening remarks that day. "The specific reasons and constitutional grounds were not clearly stated, and it was difficult to understand the intent from the official document alone," he said.
He added, "I also feel deeply the need to resolve the vacancy on the Supreme Court," and said he would respond in his closing remarks after taking into account the issues raised during the audit.
On Aug. 18, Chief Justice Cho recommended Judge Son Bong-gi of the Daegu District Court for appointment as the successor to former Supreme Court Justice Rho Tae-ak. Cheong Wa Dae requested a renewed recommendation on Aug. 28, saying the written recommendation had been made without substantive consultation between the president and the chief justice.
On Sept. 22, Chief Justice Cho said he could not find specific constitutional grounds or reasons to justify the request for a renewed recommendation and announced that he would not comply with it. Cheong Wa Dae criticized him in a second statement issued that day, saying, "The statement distorts the facts by making it appear that the president's request for a renewed recommendation was flawed because it failed to comply with the constitutional principles of written documents and the countersignature system."
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