Democratic Party Leader Says Review of Chief Justice Impeachment Will Proceed Step by Step
Ruling Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said the party would proceed with its review of possible action against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, including a parliamentary investigation, as political pressure over the judiciary intensifies.
SEOUL — Ruling Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said Saturday that his party would continue reviewing possible action against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae in a measured manner, including a potential parliamentary investigation.
Kim made the remarks after attending a sports event for parliamentary photographers at the National Assembly. Asked about calls within the broader ruling camp to pursue Cho’s impeachment, he said the party would proceed step by step in line with its original approach, with a parliamentary investigation among the options under consideration.
The comments indicate that the Democratic Party is keeping multiple parliamentary routes open while coordinating the timing and scope of any formal move. Kim said he understood that floor leaders were working to combine and coordinate several considerations related to the proposed investigation. He did not announce a timetable or confirm that an impeachment motion would be filed.
The debate has intensified following an appellate court’s acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a case involving alleged violations of political funds law. Kim had said a day earlier that he found the decision difficult to understand both legally and in terms of common sense. When asked again about the ruling Saturday, he referred reporters to those earlier comments rather than expanding on his position.
Some figures in the governing bloc have demanded faster action against Cho. The Rebuilding Korea Party has called for the chief justice’s impeachment and for the dismantling of the National Court Administration, linking those demands to criticism of the appellate outcome in Oh’s case.
An impeachment effort against the head of the judiciary would carry significant institutional and political consequences. Any move would have to pass through the National Assembly, while a parliamentary investigation would follow a separate process focused on fact-finding and oversight. Kim’s remarks suggest the ruling party has not yet settled on a single course.
For now, the Democratic Party appears to be balancing demands for immediate action from allied political forces with the need to coordinate internally. The next steps will depend on decisions by the party’s parliamentary leadership and whether lawmakers move from public discussion to a formal investigation or impeachment procedure.