Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae did not provide a direct answer on whether he will maintain the nomination of candidate Son Bong-ki for the Supreme Court, stating he will explain the background of rejecting the Blue House's request during the National Assembly audit.
On the morning of September 28, as he arrived at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Cho responded to reporters' questions about whether he would uphold Son's nomination by saying, "I hope you don't have to come out here every day to ask difficult questions." He added, "As I mentioned before, if you have any questions, I will convey them through the public relations officer in the future."
He further explained, "The Blue House's request regarding the Supreme Court nominee was simply to 'reconsider the nomination.' We have only provided a conclusion in our response, and I understand that there are many questions from you all."
Cho indicated that he would address these matters during the upcoming National Assembly audit and would communicate any necessary information through the public relations officer.
On August 18, Cho nominated Son Bong-ki, the head judge of the Daegu District Court, to succeed former Justice Noh Tae-ack. The Blue House requested a reconsideration of the nomination on August 28, claiming it was made unilaterally without substantial consultation between the President and the Chief Justice.
Subsequently, on September 22, Cho stated he could not comply with the reconsideration request, citing the lack of specific reasons and constitutional grounds in the official document sent by the Blue House, and that he could not find any justification for it.
The Blue House countered that the perception that the Chief Justice's nomination authority supersedes the President's appointment authority is unconstitutional. They also criticized Cho for allegedly distorting facts regarding the President's request for reconsideration, which they claimed did not adhere to constitutional documentation and departmental systems.
In response, on September 23, Cho clarified that he did not mean to imply that the official document dated August 28 had formal defects. He stated, "For the document to be effective, clear grounds and reasons must be presented, allowing for procedures to be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and laws."
The National Assembly's Judiciary Committee is set to hold an emergency inquiry into the Court Administration later today, addressing the circumstances surrounding the rejection of the reconsideration request. The Democratic Party is also working to have Chief Justice Cho testify as a general witness during the National Assembly audit scheduled for October 6.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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