According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, the Democratic Party decided on the 27th to pursue a parliamentary investigation of Chief Justice Cho Hee-de. With hardliners in the broader ruling bloc continuing to call for impeachment, the intention is to first examine alleged abuse of authority through an investigation. A parliamentary probe of a sitting chief justice would be the first in constitutional history.

Targets and schedule

The issues cited are the refusal to re-nominate a Supreme Court justice candidate, the refusal to take a witness oath at the parliamentary audit, and allegations over the use of operating expenses. Floor spokesperson Jeon Eun-su said opinion converged on an investigation after a closed-door caucus. The request is most likely to be reported to the plenary session on the 5th of next month.

The party says it will decide on impeachment after the investigation. Jeon said, “What needs to be made clear should be made clear through the investigation.” The Rebuilding Korea Party, by contrast, argued for pursuing the investigation and impeachment at the same time.

Caution within the party and opposition backlash

No one openly objected at the caucus, but concerns were voiced privately that the party should focus on livelihood issues. The Kyunghyang Shinmun said some also felt that clashing with the judiciary offers no benefit while poll numbers have recently slipped. Lawmakers including Ahn Gyu-back and Jo Seung-lae stressed the need to avoid internal division and stay united.

The People Power Party objected that this was an attempt to put political pressure on trials and a violation of the separation of powers. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik argued it could become grounds for impeaching President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party. The Chief Justice's official position was not confirmed in this report.