Rep. Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party, who continues to serve on the Legislative and Judiciary Committee, stated on July 1 that the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is urgently needed. He argued that the Supreme Court is the final barrier to resolving the insurrection.
During a press conference at the National Assembly, Kim said, "We are preparing an impeachment motion to hold Chief Justice Cho accountable for his unconstitutional and illegal actions. We must proceed with impeachment responsibly for a thorough resolution of the insurrection."
He emphasized, "The Supreme Court is facing cases involving insurrection suspects, including Yoon Suk Yeol and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The person leading the Supreme Court is Chief Justice Cho, who has engaged in judicial insurrection."
Kim asserted that the Chief Justice must uphold political neutrality and maintain public trust through fair trials. He accused Cho of using the judiciary as a political tool, undermining that trust.
He claimed that Cho violated the sovereignty of the people by making a remand decision in the election law violation case against President Lee Jae-myung ahead of the last presidential election.
However, there are concerns that impeaching the Chief Justice could violate the separation of powers. In response, Kim told Aju Economy, "The sovereignty of the people is above the separation of powers in the Constitution. Chief Justice Cho has infringed upon that sovereignty."
Kim pointed out that Cho processed the election law case of a leading opposition candidate at an unprecedented speed, noting the swift emergency referral to the full bench, the first hearing on the same day, and the review of over 70,000 pages of records in essentially one day, followed by the acceptance of the remand trial the day after the ruling and the delivery of the execution notice.
He also criticized Cho for allowing a judicial environment favorable to insurrection forces, stating that he has not attended any of the four summonses from the National Assembly regarding allegations of judicial interference in the presidential election.
Additionally, Kim urged candidates for the upcoming party convention on August 17 to clearly state their positions on the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho in light of the pressing issues of resolving the insurrection and achieving judicial justice.
He added, "The party should not delay the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho any longer. I will also fulfill my responsibilities to ensure a thorough resolution of the insurrection and the purification of the judiciary."
Kim had previously held a press conference on June 25 to demand that candidates for party leadership articulate their visions.
Meanwhile, Kim is mentioned as a potential candidate for the party leadership in the upcoming convention. If he runs, he is expected to compete against former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, former party leader Jeong Cheong-rae, and lawmaker Song Young-gil.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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