"Absent Again on the 30th, Following May"
"Letter Is a Copy-and-Paste Without a Single Change"
"Judicial Independence Is Not a Shield... Truth Must Be Revealed"
The Democratic Party of Korea has strongly protested against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's notification that he will not attend the National Assembly confirmation hearing.
On September 28, Democratic Party lawmakers who are members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "Chief Justice Cho has once again submitted a letter expressing his intention not to attend," and criticized it as "an arrogant attitude that disregards the institution representing the people." The Democratic Party pointed out, "In particular, the letter submitted by Chief Justice Cho is virtually a copy-and-paste of the document he submitted for the May hearing, with not a single word changed."
The lawmakers said, "We are suspicious of what ulterior motives he may be hiding behind such an insincere letter," and urged, "He must immediately stop deceiving the public and attend the hearing."
There was also a continued dispute over the interpretation of whether attendance is mandatory. The Democratic Party emphasized, "According to the National Assembly Act, the Chief Justice is also obligated to attend. There is even a precedent where the first Chief Justice, Kim Byungro, directly answered questions at the National Assembly." On the other hand, Chief Justice Cho has cited as his reason for non-attendance that the National Assembly's demands could influence ongoing trials. In response, the Democratic Party countered, "There is no concern about influencing trials, as the rulings in question have already been finalized."
The Democratic Party repeatedly stressed that this hearing is not about the content of the rulings themselves, but rather about uncovering the truth behind allegations of intervention in the presidential election. They stated, "This is not a political dispute, but a process to reveal the truth behind suspicions of a 'judicial coup d'etat,'" and added, "The judicial independence claimed by Chief Justice Cho cannot be used as a shield to evade responsibility."
Kim Yongmin, the Democratic Party's secretary for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, commented on possible measures if Chief Justice Cho does not attend, saying, "We are considering options such as summoning him again as a witness or filing a complaint," and that the committee would review the severity of the response. However, regarding the possibility of impeachment, he clarified, "This is not a matter that can be handled at the committee level." Jeon Hyunhee, a senior member of the committee, also held a separate press conference, stating, "This hearing is the last opportunity for Chief Justice Cho to restore trust in the judiciary," and repeatedly called for his attendance.
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