Kim Minseok: "The time for Cho Heedae to protect his honor has passed... We are seriously considering measures to correct the chief justice's wrongdoing"

"The patience for voluntary resignation is not unlimited"
Democratic Party Supreme Council discusses grounds for resignation
Seen as signaling consideration of impeachment and other measures

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, called on Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to resign voluntarily on Wednesday, saying, "I warn that both the public and the Democratic Party have clearly reached the limits of their patience."

At a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Kim said, "The public is watching the conduct of the chief justice," and argued, "Inflating the headcount to improperly cover expensive meals and distributing cash to Supreme Court justices every month as if it were personal pocket money both violate the National Finance Act and various other laws."

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks with floor leader Han Byeongdo before the start of a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Oct. 14, 2026. Reporter Yoon Dongju.

He continued, "If ordinary people say, 'I didn't know' or 'I wasn't involved,' does the court acquit them all?" He added, "The chief justice's violations of the Constitution and the law have already gone far too far: remaining silent on the night of the insurrection, intervening in the presidential election through a reversal and remand, improperly undermining the president's appointment authority, undermining the parliamentary audit by refusing to take an oath, and infringing on the public's right to a fair trial by refusing motions for recusal."

Kim said, "The time to protect his honor and clear conscience has passed," adding, "There is no limit to the patience for his voluntary resignation. We are seriously considering every possible measure to correct the chief justice's wrongdoing."

Cho Gye-won, a Democratic Party spokesperson, told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting, "Many people spoke about why Chief Justice Cho should resign." Regarding the mood at the meeting, Cho said, "There is a determination not to rule out impeachment," adding, "It was a warning that resigning voluntarily would be better for him, too."

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