Democratic Party: “Request to Resubmit Supreme Court Nominee Was Unavoidable... Chief Justice Cho Hidae Must Act Swiftly”

The Democratic Party of Korea stated that the Blue House’s request for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to resubmit a recommendation for Supreme Court Justice nominee Son Bonggi to the National Assembly, instead of directly submitting the appointment agreement, was “an unavoidable action to establish the principle of popular sovereignty and due process.” The Democratic Party also urged Chief Justice Cho Hidae to “immediately proceed with the resubmission procedure.”

Sungjun Park, Senior Spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a briefing on the 28th, “We will correct Chief Justice Cho’s unilateral recommendation and the resubmission that infringed upon the President’s appointment authority.”

Senior Spokesperson Seongjun Park of the Democratic Party of Korea is holding a briefing on current issues at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News

Senior Spokesperson Park commented on the recent controversy over the Supreme Court’s recommendation process, stating, “According to the principle of popular sovereignty, the right to recommend is merely a power to ensure that the President, who is directly elected by the people, can properly exercise their appointment authority,” adding, “It is not a power to violate the law or to install one’s own associates on the bench.”

He continued, “Chief Justice Cho Hidae delayed the recommendation for seven months after the candidate was selected, without any explanation. Afterwards, he unilaterally issued a written notice without any consultation, thereby casting aside the principle of mutual respect between constitutional institutions.”

He also raised the issue that the Office of Court Administration contacted the recommended candidate in an attempt to invalidate the recommendation, arguing, “If there are procedural flaws that the public cannot accept, they must be rectified.”

Senior Spokesperson Park further urged, “The Chief Justice should quickly recommend a candidate who meets the public’s demands for diversity in the composition of the Supreme Court, protection of socially disadvantaged groups, and guarantee of the right to a trial. In order to dispel criticism that the Chief Justice has become involved in politics, we hope that this time, the right of recommendation entrusted by the people will be exercised properly.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.