Ruling Party: "Cho Hee-dae Probe to Be Decided at Caucus on 27th"... Appears Set to Ratify as Party Position

Han Byeongdo, Floor Leader, at Parliamentary Audit Strategy Meeting
"Kim Keonhee Must Remain in Detention"

The Democratic Party of Korea said it would decide on October 27 at a party caucus meeting whether to pursue a parliamentary investigation into Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. The move is expected to lead to the party formally adopting the investigation as its official position.

Han Byeong-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at a parliamentary audit strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "The Democratic Party will decide today at a party caucus meeting whether to pursue a parliamentary investigation into Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae."

Regarding the investigation, Han said, "We must clearly establish before the public the allegations of political interference and abuse of authority surrounding the head of the judiciary," adding, "There is a pressing need to examine whether the judiciary fulfilled its duty to uphold the Constitution during the insurrection." He continued, "We must also clearly determine the circumstances behind the prolonged delay in recommending candidates for Supreme Court justice and the rejection of requests for new nominations, as well as whether the judiciary fulfilled its responsibility to resolve the judicial vacancy."

Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Han Byeongdo delivers opening remarks at a meeting on preparations for the parliamentary audit at the National Assembly on Oct. 27, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Regarding the parliamentary audit, he said, "Chief Justice Cho avoided responsibility for perjury by refusing to take the oath at this year's audit, while using the audit session as a stage to defend himself." He added, "The allegations surrounding the use of operational expenses and the disbursement of cash bonuses must also be clarified in a way the public can accept."

Han also made clear that the party would reach a conclusion that day, saying, "We will gather the party's collective opinion at today's caucus meeting and report back to the public."

He stressed that the detention of Kim Keon-hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, should continue. "A hearing on an additional arrest warrant for Kim Keon-hee will be held this afternoon. To be clear, she must remain in detention," he said. Han added, "She was sentenced to prison in an appellate court for influence-peddling, and related trials are still ongoing." He said, "The court should carefully consider the seriousness of the alleged crimes and the risk of evidence destruction, and issue an additional arrest warrant."

Han said, "The so-called three major allegations against Kim Keon-hee - stock manipulation involving Deutsch Motors, receiving free opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun, and receiving money and gifts from the Unification Church - were suddenly referred to the en banc court just one day before the ruling in the final appeal was due, and no decision has yet been reached." He added, "Public suspicions are growing that all of this may have been a step toward securing Kim's release." He continued, "The insurrection cases involving former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo and former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min were also referred to the en banc court nearly three months ago, yet the ruling deadlines have passed and no hearing dates have even been set." He said, "Delays in trials must not become a path to release."

He again expressed concern about the judiciary in this regard. "The judiciary should take seriously the public's concerns about the politicization of justice. If Kim Keon-hee is released in this situation, how can the public trust the judiciary?" he said. He warned, "The Supreme Court must issue an additional arrest warrant in accordance with the law and principles, and safeguard trust in the judiciary through a fair and rigorous trial."

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