"The Legislation and Judiciary Committee Does Not Represent All Politics"
"Having Kim Hyunji Testify Is a Duty to the People"
Regarding the Democratic Party's decision to hold a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Cho Hee-dae, led by hardliners such as Chu Mi-ae, Chairwoman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, senior pro-Lee Jae-myung faction member Kim Youngjin commented, "Wasn't this a bit of a sudden acceleration?" On the 25th, appearing on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jongbae's Focus,' Assemblyman Kim said, "A confirmation hearing for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is an extremely important matter. It would have been better to proceed after thorough preparation, consulting with the entire party and the leadership, and reaching mutual understanding and agreement on its necessity." He added, "I think it was done too hastily."
Previously, on the 22nd, Democratic Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee pushed through the agenda to hold a confirmation hearing for Chief Justice Cho at the committee's plenary meeting. It is reported that they introduced and passed the agenda without prior discussion with Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae or floor leader Kim Byungki. On the 23rd, Democratic Party spokesperson Moon Geumjoo stated, "The decision to hold the hearing was made at the committee level, and we were notified afterward."
Assemblyman Kim criticized Chairwoman Chu and others for pushing ahead with the hearing without consulting party leadership, saying, "Given the gravity of this issue, it would have been appropriate to have sufficient discussions with the party leadership and the floor leadership before proceeding." He speculated, "Perhaps, as discussions about holding the hearing progressed within the committee, the decision was made without consulting the leadership."
However, Assemblyman Kim emphasized the need to address suspicions regarding the Supreme Court's decision to remand President Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act for a guilty verdict on May 1. He said, "There is a need to discuss the suspicions raised about the remand by Chief Justice Cho and the Cho Hee-dae judiciary." Regarding claims from some within the party, such as Assemblywoman Seo Youngkyo, that there was a secret meeting involving Chief Justice Cho, former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, and two others, and that this should be investigated through a hearing or other means, he said, "It is not appropriate to hold a hearing based on unverified facts," adding, "Even without appearing at the hearing, the justices themselves can express their positions in other ways."
"Chu Mi-ae's wars have never ended well"
Regarding the controversy over whether Kim Hyunji, Chief Presidential Secretary for General Affairs and a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, should attend the National Assembly audit, Assemblyman Kim argued, "Selecting her as a witness and having her appear is a duty to the people and a principle that a government based on popular sovereignty must uphold." He added, "I hope this will be judged with common sense. When I was the ruling party's chief floor secretary during the Moon Jae-in administration, there was never a single instance where the chief secretary for general affairs' selection as a witness became controversial during negotiations with the opposition. It is simply natural for the chief secretary for general affairs to be subject to the audit." He emphasized, "Whether it is the chief secretary for general affairs, the legal affairs secretary, or the political affairs secretary, it is common sense that they should appear before the National Assembly, which represents the people, and state their positions as public officials."
On the 24th, at the plenary meeting of the Steering Committee held at the National Assembly, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties engaged in a heated debate over the list of witnesses for the 2025 National Assembly audit. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
The previous day, the Democratic Party rejected the selection of Secretary Kim as a witness, stating, "We cannot go along with the People Power Party's intention to turn this into a political dispute by summoning Secretary Kim." In response, Yoo Sangbeom, People Power Party's secretary on the Steering Committee, said, "Is Secretary Kim such a sacred figure that she must never be summoned? Since the 14th National Assembly in 1992, there has never been a single instance where the chief secretary for general affairs was excluded as a witness in the audit."
Regarding the ongoing conflict between the ruling and opposition parties over the appointment of Na Kyungwon as secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Assemblyman Kim said, "This is the third war between Na Kyungwon and Chu Mi-ae. The first was Chu Mi-ae versus Yoon Suk-yeol, the second was Chu Mi-ae versus Han Donghoon, and now the third is Chu Mi-ae versus Na Kyungwon. I cannot recall any instance where the outcome of these wars was appropriate or positive."
On the 24th, at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held in the National Assembly, Chairwoman Chu Mi-ae is striking the gavel. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Assemblyman Kim further added, "It is my personal opinion that there is no need to wage such wars over the appointment of secretaries from both parties. It is not appropriate for the operation of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to be disrupted or for the committee to be portrayed as representing all politics due to issues unrelated to its essence. Therefore, restraint and adjustment are necessary."
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