Jeong Chungrae: "Cho Hui-dae Tried to Change Presidential Candidate During Election... Judicial Reform Was Brought on by the Judiciary Itself"

Chief Judges Declare, "Judicial Independence Must Be Guaranteed"
Jeong Chungrae Questions, "Is Arrogance Judicial Independence?"

Jeong Chungrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the judiciary's concerns regarding judicial reform measures such as increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, stating that judicial reform was brought about by the judiciary itself, especially by Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae.

Jeong Chungrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Byunggi, floor leader, are attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on September 12, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On September 13, through a Facebook post, Jeong said, "Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae stated, 'Judicial independence must be firmly guaranteed, and I will review the constitutionality of the special court for insurrection.' Is the arrogance of being able to change even a presidential candidate during the election really judicial independence?" he questioned.

He continued, "Judicial reform was initiated and brought upon by the judiciary itself. It is a consequence of their own actions. Especially Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae," he emphasized.

The remarks regarding the presidential candidate refer to the Supreme Court's decision on June 3, ahead of the presidential election, when the full bench, in May, overturned and remanded the public official election law case of then-Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung with a guilty verdict. At that time, the Supreme Court made the decision just 34 days after receiving the case, which was considered an unusually swift ruling.

Meanwhile, on the previous day, chief judges from courts nationwide held an emergency meeting of the National Chief Judges' Conference and issued an official statement, saying, "Judicial independence must be guaranteed," and "Judicial participation is essential in discussions on institutional reform." They also expressed concern that "a cautious approach is needed regarding the establishment of a special court for insurrection."

The Democratic Party's five main judicial reform agendas are: increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, improving the method for recommending Supreme Court justices, enhancing the judicial evaluation system, expanding the scope of public access to lower court rulings, and introducing a preliminary review system for search and seizure warrants.