Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, urged Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on October 6 to appear before the National Assembly to explain the ongoing vacancies among Supreme Court justices.
During a meeting to prepare for the National Assembly's audit of the Supreme Court, Han stated, "If you are the head of the court with the authority to recommend justices, you must first answer what you have done to resolve the vacancies."
He pointed out that Chief Justice Cho submitted a letter of absence on October 2, citing judicial independence as the reason for not attending as a regular witness, just four days after stating to the media that he would address the issue during the audit.
"How can you maintain the trust of the judiciary when you are reversing promises made to the public?" Han questioned, adding, "Judicial independence is a principle to ensure the fairness of trials, not a privilege that exempts the Chief Justice from responsibility."
With the Supreme Court vacancy now extending to 217 days, Han noted that the processing time for criminal appeals has increased by nearly a month. He expressed concern that, in the worst-case scenario, Kim Geon-hee could be released due to the expiration of her detention period at the end of October, along with delays in trials for key defendants in insurrection cases, including Han Deok-soo and Lee Sang-min. He warned that this could jeopardize the resolution of insurrection issues and the restoration of constitutional order.
Han emphasized that Chief Justice Cho cannot evade responsibility simply by exercising authority and pledged that the Democratic Party would thoroughly examine any illegal or improper judicial administration practices, ensuring the public's right to a swift trial and the transparency of judicial administration.
Regarding recent AI hacking incidents in the financial sector, Han stated that the Democratic Party and the government would strengthen proactive response systems to AI-based cyber threats and elevate digital safety in the finance and public sectors to a national integrated task.
He called on relevant agencies, including the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Intelligence Service, and the police, to conduct thorough investigations and establish comprehensive measures to prevent recurrence. He also stressed the urgent need to transition to an AI-based defense system, committing to improve regulations and secure budgets to protect the public's digital safety in their daily lives.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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