Cho Hee-dae, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has rejected a request from the Blue House to reappoint a Supreme Court justice candidate.
In a media announcement on September 22, Cho stated, "I cannot comply with the request for reappointment." He explained that the president's legal actions are conducted through documents from the Prime Minister and relevant ministers, noting that the only document related to the reappointment request was dated August 28, 2026.
He added, "This document does not contain specific reasons or constitutional grounds for the reappointment request, and I cannot find any other specific constitutional basis to justify it."
Cho's statement comes 25 days after the Blue House requested the reappointment of Judge Son Bong-ki from the Daegu District Court.
Previously, on August 18, Cho had recommended Judge Son as a successor to former Justice Roh Tae-ack and Judge Kim Sung-soo as a successor to former Justice Lee Heung-gu to President Lee Jae-myung.
Ten days later, on August 28, the Blue House submitted a confirmation bill for Judge Kim, but requested the reappointment of Judge Son, citing a lack of procedural completeness.
Following this, Cho dealt with personal matters, including a bereavement, and attended the Asia-Pacific Chief Justices' Conference, while the Blue House and the Democratic Party of Korea continued to urge a swift reappointment, leading to ongoing tensions.
Amid these developments, Cho and President Lee shared tea and conversation during the appointment ceremony for new Justice Kim Sung-soo the day before. There were expectations that their first meeting could resolve the controversy surrounding the reappointment. However, with Cho's outright refusal, the vacancy for the Supreme Court justice is likely to extend, further escalating the conflict between the two sides.
The Blue House expressed its "deep regret" over Cho's announcement, stating, "Despite the president's rejection of the reappointment, the Chief Justice's declaration not to reappoint a successor is concerning."
It also pointed out that Cho's statement implies that the Chief Justice's reappointment authority supersedes the president's appointment authority, which it views as contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. The Blue House emphasized that if the Chief Justice recommends a candidate, the president must appoint them, as undermining the president's appointment authority elected by the people is unacceptable.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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