Clash Over Judicial Reform... Democrats Call It "Realizing Justice" vs. PPP Says It Is "Shielding President Lee"

Democratic Party Written Briefing and People Power Party Commentary

The ruling and opposition parties are clashing over judicial reform bills being pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea, including increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, introducing a system to appeal Constitutional Court rulings (jaepanso-won), and creating a new crime of judicial distortion. The ruling Democratic Party argues that judicial reform is directly linked to people's livelihoods and the realization of judicial justice, while the opposition People Power Party criticizes it as "bulletproof legislation" designed to protect President Lee Jaemyung.

At the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 9th, People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyungwon was conducting an unlimited debate (filibuster) when Woo Wonsik, Speaker of the National Assembly, turned off the microphone, prompting ruling and opposition lawmakers to come to the podium and protest. 2025.12.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In a written briefing issued on the 15th, Democratic Party spokesperson Boo Seungchan stated, "Judicial reform legislation is thoroughly focused on protecting the basic rights of the people and realizing judicial justice," adding, "We will look only to the people and steadfastly complete judicial reform without wavering."

Boo said, "Increasing the number of Supreme Court justices is an essential task to resolve the chronic problem of trial delays, and the jaepanso-won system is a mechanism intended to provide at least a minimal opportunity to correct Constitutional Court rulings that infringe on basic rights," adding, "The crime of judicial distortion is intended to underscore the gravity of judicial justice."

Regarding the People Power Party's claim of "bulletproof legislation," he called it a "forced frame" and said, "We express deep regret over this irresponsible act of turning the Democratic Party's efforts to correct a judicial system that has lost the trust of the people and to return judicial sovereignty to the people into a crude tool of political strife."

By contrast, in a commentary released the same day, People Power Party chief spokesperson Choi Boyoon said, "Outwardly they cry out for judicial reform, but in truth it is 'ironclad bulletproofing' to protect one person, President Lee," criticizing, "If the President does not even exercise his veto power in the face of this unconstitutional legislative rampage, the historical responsibility will fall squarely on the President."

Choi said, "The crime of judicial distortion is an unconstitutional form of pressure that shackles judges' and prosecutors' consciences with criminal punishment," pointing out, "The idea of defining a judge's interpretation of the law as distortion and punishing it criminally is nothing less than an open declaration of war to tame the judiciary into a subordinate of the administration."

She went on to say, "The jaepanso-won system is an ambition to introduce a super-constitutional fourth-instance trial structure that will neutralize the judicial system, and when combined with the increase in Supreme Court justices, it completes an ironclad bulletproof structure," stressing, "This is an unprecedented act of deceiving the entire nation by turning the entire judicial system into a life-saving device for a specific individual."