Han Byeong-do Calls for Swift Reappointment of Supreme Court Justices

Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, urged Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on September 8 to promptly proceed with the reappointment process for candidates already recommended by the Supreme Court Candidate Recommendation Committee, following the vacancy of two justices due to a conflict between the Blue House and the Supreme Court.

During a policy meeting at the National Assembly, Han stated, "End the politics of reappointment that holds the people's right to a fair trial hostage and show accountability to the Constitution and the public."

He pointed out that the vacancy of the justices has persisted since former Justice Noh Tae-ack's retirement in March, leading to a delay of over six months in the reappointment process. "The Supreme Court's three divisions are unable to meet the quorum necessary for trials, forcing the reassignment of justices from other divisions," he noted.

Han also expressed concern that the operation of the full bench, which is handling significant cases such as the three major allegations against Kim Geon-hee and the insurrection cases involving Han Deok-soo and Lee Sang-min, could be disrupted. He recalled that during a previous 46-day vacancy of two justices in late 2011, no rulings were issued by the full bench.

"Since Kim Geon-hee, Han Deok-soo, and Lee Sang-min are all involved in cases before the full bench, they could be the biggest beneficiaries of the Supreme Court vacancy," he criticized.

He added, "Despite this, Chief Justice Cho has yet to respond to the Blue House's request for reappointment, having delayed the process for over six months and unexpectedly submitted uncoordinated candidates for reappointment, now further delaying the reappointment itself."

Han emphasized that the Chief Justice's reappointment authority is not a power granted to privatize the judiciary. "The longer Chief Justice Cho delays under the pretext of authority and justification, the more trials are postponed, and the public bears the consequences," he said.

Addressing the opposition's attacks on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, Han stated, "Distorting facts based on unverifiable materials and selectively edited recordings under the guise of verification is unacceptable."

He also targeted independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, saying, "He continues to make unilateral claims without properly explaining the judgments in the related court documents and the reasons for the prosecution's non-indictment, engaging in typical politically motivated cabinet politics by only presenting information favorable to his position."

Furthermore, he warned, "Before inflating allegations, Han must clearly disclose to the public how he obtained the materials and through what channels. If he has made false claims, he must take responsibility for them."