Jeong Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the Democratic Party on October 7, stating, "If you are going to destroy the separation of powers with verbal abuse and threats, you might as well impeach the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court."
Jeong condemned the Judiciary Committee's actions the previous day, where they prevented Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae from leaving and forced him to take an oath as a witness, calling it 'unbearable.' He also pointed out that President Lee Jae-myung's request for the appointment of Supreme Court justices and the Democratic Party's intimidation of Chief Justice Jo were unconstitutional, labeling the president and the Democratic Party as a 'community of lawlessness and unconstitutionality.'
Furthermore, Jeong criticized Seo Young-kyu, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, for ordering the exit of opposition lawmaker Park Hyung-soo and for halting the speaking rights of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-kyu, calling it an 'abuse of power.'
On the previous day, members of the People Power Party's Judiciary Committee also expressed strong opposition regarding the committee's operations. They held a press conference, stating, "An unprecedented event occurred during the Supreme Court's national audit yesterday," adding, "One of them was the Chief Justice being summoned as an ordinary witness to testify."
They continued, "Another issue was that the chair halted the speaking rights of two opposition lawmakers in one day, one of whom was the opposition's chief secretary. Halting the speaking rights of the chief secretary is tantamount to silencing the entire opposition party."
They remarked, "(Chair Seo) seems to be under the illusion that he is the 'enemy of the Judiciary Committee.' The authority to maintain order is a last resort for conducting meetings, not a means for personal revenge against lawmakers who offend the chair's mood."
Meanwhile, Jeong referenced media reports about Kim Hyun-ji, the chief of the presidential office's first division, who became the head of a public enterprise after overturning the results of a self-interview in which he officiated a wedding. He demanded, "Kim must come to the national audit to clarify this matter," questioning, "Will the public accept that the Chief Justice is not a sanctuary while the division chief is?"
He added, "Democratic Party members, including Kim Hyun-ji, Jeong Jin-sang (former head of the Democratic Party's policy coordination office), Kim Yong-beom (former head of the presidential policy office), and Kim Seung-won (Democratic Party lawmaker), are essential witnesses who must appear at the national audit. The Democratic Party's outright refusal is turning the national assembly into an abnormal shield for itself," urging the Democratic Party to cooperate for a normal national audit.
Kim Seung-soo, the deputy floor leader, also expressed dissatisfaction, stating, "This year's national audit has seen a 62% reduction in ordinary witnesses compared to last year, and a 70% reduction compared to 2024. There have been shocking incidents regarding document submissions, including unanswered phone calls. This national audit is thoroughly obstructing the public's right to know."
Jeong condemned the Judiciary Committee's actions the previous day, where they prevented Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae from leaving and forced him to take an oath as a witness, calling it 'unbearable.' He also pointed out that President Lee Jae-myung's request for the appointment of Supreme Court justices and the Democratic Party's intimidation of Chief Justice Jo were unconstitutional, labeling the president and the Democratic Party as a 'community of lawlessness and unconstitutionality.'
Furthermore, Jeong criticized Seo Young-kyu, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, for ordering the exit of opposition lawmaker Park Hyung-soo and for halting the speaking rights of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-kyu, calling it an 'abuse of power.'
On the previous day, members of the People Power Party's Judiciary Committee also expressed strong opposition regarding the committee's operations. They held a press conference, stating, "An unprecedented event occurred during the Supreme Court's national audit yesterday," adding, "One of them was the Chief Justice being summoned as an ordinary witness to testify."
They continued, "Another issue was that the chair halted the speaking rights of two opposition lawmakers in one day, one of whom was the opposition's chief secretary. Halting the speaking rights of the chief secretary is tantamount to silencing the entire opposition party."
They remarked, "(Chair Seo) seems to be under the illusion that he is the 'enemy of the Judiciary Committee.' The authority to maintain order is a last resort for conducting meetings, not a means for personal revenge against lawmakers who offend the chair's mood."
Meanwhile, Jeong referenced media reports about Kim Hyun-ji, the chief of the presidential office's first division, who became the head of a public enterprise after overturning the results of a self-interview in which he officiated a wedding. He demanded, "Kim must come to the national audit to clarify this matter," questioning, "Will the public accept that the Chief Justice is not a sanctuary while the division chief is?"
He added, "Democratic Party members, including Kim Hyun-ji, Jeong Jin-sang (former head of the Democratic Party's policy coordination office), Kim Yong-beom (former head of the presidential policy office), and Kim Seung-won (Democratic Party lawmaker), are essential witnesses who must appear at the national audit. The Democratic Party's outright refusal is turning the national assembly into an abnormal shield for itself," urging the Democratic Party to cooperate for a normal national audit.
Kim Seung-soo, the deputy floor leader, also expressed dissatisfaction, stating, "This year's national audit has seen a 62% reduction in ordinary witnesses compared to last year, and a 70% reduction compared to 2024. There have been shocking incidents regarding document submissions, including unanswered phone calls. This national audit is thoroughly obstructing the public's right to know."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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