Jang Donghyuk: "Request to Resubmit Supreme Court Justice Nominee Violates Constitution... President's Hypocrisy"

"President Lee Wants to Choose the Judge for His Own Trial"

"Highly Commend Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's Decision... President's Trial Must Also Resume"

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, commented on September 22 regarding Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s refusal to comply with President Lee Jaemyung’s request to re-nominate a Supreme Court justice candidate. He assessed this as “a completely natural decision in accordance with the Constitution and the best choice the Chief Justice could make.” He further argued that the President insisting on a particular candidate and requesting re-nomination itself violates the Constitution and the principle of separation of powers.

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is expressing his position at an emergency press conference held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At an emergency press conference held at the National Assembly on the same day, Jang stated, “The Blue House’s claim that refusal to re-nominate constitutes a constitutional violation and a breach of the separation of powers is not only groundless but a distortion of the facts,” adding, “On the contrary, demanding the re-nomination of a Supreme Court justice is a clear violation of the separation of powers, trampling on the Chief Justice’s right to recommend candidates.”

He claimed, “The root cause of this situation is President Lee’s insistence on Kim Minki as Supreme Court justice,” and argued, “The Blue House’s position from the very beginning has been ‘It must be Kim Minki, or no one else.’” He went on to criticize, “How can it make sense for a President, who is on trial for criminal charges, to attempt to select the very judge who will preside over his own case? This is not just a violation of the separation of powers, but an act that undermines the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea—an act that destroys the Constitution itself.”

Regarding the Blue House’s emphasis on the people’s right to a speedy trial due to the Supreme Court vacancy, he countered, “To create an unprecedented situation in the constitutional history of Korea, and then talk about the ‘right to a speedy trial,’ is to make light of the public,” adding, “The President bears all responsibility for this.”

Jang warned, “To intimidate the Chief Justice is, in effect, to intimidate the people. If they take even one step further in this direction, they will face irreversible public resistance.”

He added, “Chief Justice Cho demonstrated a resolute will to protect the independence of the judiciary,” and urged, “The judiciary must resume President Lee’s trial and prove that the judiciary stands firm, not submitting to power, and that the Constitution of the Republic of Korea remains alive.”

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