Blue House says its position on renomination of Supreme Court justices unchanged in response to Cho Hee-dae's rebuttal

[Financial News] On the 6th, the Blue House offered little comment on Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's rebuttal to the controversy over renomination of Supreme Court justices, in which he argued that it had "no constitutional basis," saying its "existing position has not changed."
Kang Yoo-jung, the Blue House's senior spokesperson, met reporters at Chunchugwan that day and was asked about Cho's remarks on renomination of Supreme Court justice candidates at a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit. She said, "I understand that various views will be exchanged in the National Assembly," and added, "The Blue House has no separate position." At the audit that day, Cho said, "The National Assembly and the president cannot intervene in the Chief Justice's recommendations."
Kang said, "We have no separate position, and have already stated our position on the recommendation and appointment of Supreme Court justices."
The Blue House had earlier stressed, "We are doing everything we can with the follow-up procedures to ensure that the public's full exercise of their right to seek a trial is not impeded." It added, "We hope the Chief Justice will also respect the recommendations of the Supreme Court Justice Candidate Recommendation Committee and proceed with the renomination process as swiftly as possible, so that the public's right to a trial is not infringed by the prolonged vacancies among Supreme Court justices."
Also that day, President Lee Jae-myung described the abolition of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea (SPO) and the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and Public Prosecution Office as "a historic decision by the people," and urged them to perform their duties rigorously and fairly, free from political pressure. In particular, he called for thorough investigations into crimes committed by members of society's leadership, regardless of whether they belonged to the ruling or opposition parties.
At a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House that day, President Lee reiterated, "The SPO, a key institution that maintained South Korea's basic social order, has now disappeared into history." He continued, "The SPO's functions—investigating major crimes, bringing charges and maintaining prosecutions—have now been divided between two agencies, the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office. The Serious Crime Investigation Agency has also been moved from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety."
He stressed, "These investigative and prosecutorial functions must never again be abused for political ends, manipulated, or prevented from properly fulfilling their original roles."
President Lee said, "The Public Prosecution Office is one thing, but the Serious Crime Investigation Agency will now be exclusively responsible for investigating major crimes, won't it?" He noted, "There are times when our people wonder whether there is justice in this country. They see the powerful let off, the wealthy let off, and people who are victims because they have no power end up being treated as perpetrators." He went on, "I ask you to be true to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency's role and investigate the criminal acts of powerful people—so-called members of society's leadership who are highly educated and wealthy—rigorously and thoroughly, without a moment's hesitation, regardless of whose side they are on or whether they belong to the ruling or opposition parties."
On another pressing issue, Ukraine, the Blue House officially said it was considering various further measures, including recalling South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, as President Lee demanded a clear explanation and an apology over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disclosure that North Korean prisoners of war were being handed over to South Korea.
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun, Seong Seok-woo Reporter