The Innovation Party has unveiled a second impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. This marks the second time the party has presented an impeachment motion against Cho, following one last October.
On October 19, during a Supreme Council meeting held in front of the '12.3 Martial Law Lifting' monument at the National Assembly, party leader Shin Jang-sik stated, "Just as we overcame the 12.3 insurrection, the National Assembly must also put an end to the judicial coup," while announcing the impeachment motion against Cho.
The Innovation Party claims that Cho violated the right to a fair trial in connection with President Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case and infringed upon the president's appointment authority by delaying the nomination of Supreme Court candidates.
Shin emphasized, "Impeaching Chief Justice Cho is the command of the people, a political obligation, and the reason for the existence of the Innovation Party," adding, "We must not tolerate any unconstitutional, illegal, or political actions by Chief Justice Cho any longer to uphold the rule of law."
Additionally, the party included allegations of improper payments and misuse of operational funds revealed by a recent Board of Audit and Inspection investigation as significant legal violations warranting impeachment.
Regarding the controversy over the refusal to nominate candidates, Shin criticized, "The nomination authority of Chief Justice Cho is not something that can be done or not done at will; it is a constitutional duty that must be fulfilled. Yet, he declared in the National Assembly that his nomination authority is an inviolable right."
The Innovation Party also urged the Democratic Party to actively participate in the impeachment motion by proposing the establishment of a joint task force and holding a joint general assembly.
Shin called on the Democratic Party, stating, "Those who speak of backlash are merely remnants of the insurrection, the People Power Party, and the Yoon Again faction. Let’s quickly accomplish what we can do together."
After the Supreme Council meeting, spokesperson Park Byeong-eon told reporters, "As soon as floor leader Kim Jun-hyung returns tomorrow afternoon, discussions between the floor leaders of both parties are expected to take place," adding, "It is time for the Democratic Party to present a responsible stance on this issue."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to gather opinions on responses related to Chief Justice Cho through discussions in the National Assembly.
Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Gye-won explained, "Leader Kim Min-seok has requested that we focus on the illegal issues surrounding Chief Justice Cho rather than engage in disputes over the impeachment itself and gather as much input as possible within the National Assembly."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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