"We Will Not Stand Idly By the Judicial Cartel"
Kim Minseok: "Judicial Insurrectionist Cho Hee-dae Will Be Forced to Step Down"
On May 2, the Democratic Party of Korea continued its fierce criticism of the Supreme Court's ruling from the previous day, which remanded presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung's violation of the Public Official Election Act for a guilty verdict. The party characterized the decision as a 'judicial coup' and 'intervention in the presidential election.' Some lawmakers raised the possibility of impeaching Supreme Court justices, escalating their offensive to its highest level.
Chief Spokesperson Cho Seungrae stated during a briefing that day, "The Supreme Court's intervention in the presidential election is blatantly obvious," adding, "The people and the Democratic Party will hold them accountable."
Chief Spokesperson Cho also commented on the Supreme Court's return of the case records to the Seoul High Court just one day after the remand ruling, describing it as "a speed reminiscent of a military operation." He warned, "If the judiciary once again attempts hasty trials and political rulings to intervene in the presidential election, we will never stand idly by."
During the first meeting of the Central Election Countermeasures Committee, held at the party's headquarters in Yeouido that day, voices condemning the Supreme Court's decision continued. General Election Committee Chair Kim Kyungsoo pointed out during the meeting, "The judiciary has made a ruling on candidate Lee at an unprecedented speed, thrusting itself into the center of the presidential race." General Election Committee Chair Kang Geumsil also stated, "Even a president elected in an election to end an insurrection would be shaken by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court."
Approximately 60 Democratic Party lawmakers held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court, holding placards reading "The people are outraged" and "Stop interfering in the presidential election," to protest the previous day's ruling.
Jeon Hyunhee, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party, strongly condemned what she called "the Supreme Court's unprecedented intervention in the presidential election and a judicial coup," criticizing, "The Supreme Court, which conducted an extraordinary speed trial in candidate Lee's election law case, ultimately sided with the forces seeking to bring down Lee Jaemyung." She also pointed out, "Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae concluded the hearing just two days after referring the case by his authority," and questioned, "Is it possible to read 60,000 pages of A4 documents in just two days?"
Within the party, direct criticism was also leveled at Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and other Supreme Court justices. Some called for the impeachment of these justices, while others even argued for the abolition of the judiciary. Kim Minseok, Standing Co-Chair of the Election Committee, wrote on Facebook, "Acting Prime Minister Han Ducksoo and Choi Sangmok, who acted on behalf of the insurrection, have resigned. 'Judicial insurrectionist' Cho Hee-dae will also be forced to step down. All of Yoon Sukyeol's acting officials will be removed, and in the end, the people will prevail."
Lawmaker Min Hyungbae wrote on Facebook, "Let us bring to justice Chief Justice Cho (the ringleader of the legal cartel) and the insurrectionist group," adding, "This presidential election is about judging both the Yoon Sukyeol insurrectionist forces and the Cho Hee-dae legal cartel." Lawmaker Jeong Jinwook also stated on Facebook, "We must impeach the ten Supreme Court justices who carried out the judicial coup by finding candidate Lee guilty of violating the Public Official Election Act," calling it "a clear case of election interference."
Park Jinyoung, former Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute, the party's think tank, appeared on CBS YouTube and said, "(The Supreme Court) has denied the very reason for the judiciary's existence, so we must reconsider the separation of powers that has lasted for 200 years." He added, "Perhaps it is time for the era of separation of powers to come to an end." He continued, "The judiciary is an unelected power. If this is how things are going to be, why do we need a judiciary at all? In the age of artificial intelligence, perhaps the judiciary should be abolished altogether."
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