Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the main opposition People Power Party, on Wednesday criticized the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s call for Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de to resign, calling the move unconstitutional.
Jang said the presidential office’s apparent agreement with the idea could also constitute grounds for impeachment.
“This is a typical lowbrow tactic by the Democratic Party — twisting one unproven allegation to push the chief justice into resignation,” Jang said during a press briefing at the National Assembly in Seoul.
“For the presidential office to agree is also unconstitutional and could be seen as grounds for impeachment,” he added.
Jang also denounced the recent arrest warrant for Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party over allegations that he received political funds from the Unification Church, saying, “We live in an era in which simply being in the opposition is treated as a crime.”
Jang’s remarks came amid the Democratic Party’s mounting criticism of the chief justice.
Jo has come under fire for recent remarks stressing judicial independence, apparently made in response to the Democratic Party’s push to establish a special tribunal to try those involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.
The proposed tribunal would be led by judges recommended by the National Assembly, the judges’ council and the Korean Bar Association.
Tensions further escalated after allegations emerged that Jo had made remarks unfavorable to President Lee, who was then the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, shortly before the June 3 election.
During a parliamentary interpellation session the previous day, Rep. Boo Seung-chan of the Democratic Party claimed that Jo told then-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, “If cases involving Lee Jae Myung reach the Supreme Court, we’ll take care of it.”
According to Boo, the remark was made on April 7, three days after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment. Han later resigned as prime minister and declared his candidacy for president.
“If true, this statement reveals serious political partiality from the head of the judiciary,” Boo said, adding that Jo is no longer fit to remain in office.
The presidential office said it has no official stance on Jo’s potential resignation but agreed that the allegations and his ability to fulfill his duties should be reviewed.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung explained Monday that while the chief justice is an appointed official, it is within the National Assembly’s authority — as a body composed of lawmakers directly elected by the people — to raise such issues.
Following Jang’s remarks on Wednesday, Democratic Party Chair Rep. Jung Chung-rae called for a special counsel investigation into Jo’s alleged comments.
The minor progressive Rebuilding Korea Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, also backed the call for a special investigation and said it had already drafted an impeachment motion against the chief justice.
Meanwhile, Rep. Moon Jin-seog, the Democratic Party’s senior deputy representative for floor operations, said the party was not currently seeking to impeach Jo, but maintains that he should voluntarily step down.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
