Official card news from the Democratic Party of Korea summarizing remarks made by Party Leader Kim Min-seok at the 17th Supreme Council meeting. © Democratic Party of Korea X
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party on Wednesday escalated its attacks against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae after he rejected President Lee Jae-myung’s request to resubmit a Supreme Court nominee, with lawmakers calling the decision an unconstitutional defiance of executive authority.
The clash centers on Cho’s refusal to withdraw the nomination of Judge Son Bong-gi of the Daegu District Court. President Lee’s office, the Blue House, had asked the Chief Justice to reconsider the selection, but Cho refused, stating that a presidential demand for resubmission lacks constitutional grounds.
In response, Democratic Party leadership and backbenchers launched a broadside against the head of the judiciary, threatening parliamentary investigations, summonses, and potential impeachment proceedings.
During a party supreme council meeting on Wednesday, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok characterized Cho’s decision as an “unprecedented, unconstitutional, and illegal act of insubordination.”
“This refusal is essentially a form of neglect that disregards the public,” Kim said. “The National Assembly will utilize all available authority to investigate, summon, reprimand, and hold him legally accountable.”
Kim also pointed to former supreme council member Kim Byung-joo, who has been conducting a single-person protest in front of the Supreme Court for weeks, accusing Cho of failing to maintain basic workplace integrity. “It starts with dereliction of duty, such as ignoring work hours and business expense regulations,” Kim added, citing a Korean proverb that small misdeeds lead to greater crimes.
The criticism was echoed across social media and legislative channels. Supreme Council Member Han Min-soo labeled the episode the “third revolt of Cho Hee-dae,” linking it to previous legal decisions involving President Lee. Han accused Cho of “stabbing the president in the back” just as the leader departed for an official overseas trip, urging the Chief Justice to abandon “futile ambitions.”
Lawmaker Lee Kun-tae led a group of 18 Democratic Party legislators to the Supreme Court in protest. Following a meeting with the deputy chief of the National Court Administration, Lee alleged that even top administrative officials were excluded from Cho’s decision.
“If the deputy chief was unaware of the decision, it means the Chief Justice made it arbitrarily,” Lee said, condemning what he called the “privatization and arbitrary rule” of the judiciary.
Lawmaker Song Young-gil raised the prospect of impeachment, criticizing Cho for remaining silent during past political crises while now confronting the president’s constitutional authority. Song cited the recent first-instance life sentence handed down to former President Yoon Suk-yeol over the Dec. 3 martial law incident, arguing that Parliament must forge a consensus on decisive countermeasures, including impeachment.
However, voices outside the ruling party offered a different perspective. Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon criticized both the party and progressive media outlets for shifting their stances compared to past judicial nominations.
Lee noted that Article 104, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution places the powers of nomination, parliamentary consent, and appointment on equal footing. He argued that the Blue House’s rejection of a nomination without going through the National Assembly’s consent process was itself unconstitutional.
“Politics and the media are not standing for consistent justice, but are arbitrarily changing their arguments based on partisan interests,” Lee said.
The standoff highlights deepening friction between the executive branch and the judiciary as the Supreme Court nomination process remains deadlocked.
