Democratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae called for the resignation of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, citing allegations of misconduct by judges, including a recent scandal involving a judge allegedly accepting a 1.7 million won alcohol bribe. At a party supreme council meeting on the 22nd, Jung criticized certain judges, accusing them of undermining the trust and independence of the judiciary. He urged Democratic Party members on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee to swiftly promote the enactment of a ‘law distortion crime’ to address such misconduct.
Jung mentioned various alleged ethical breaches by judges to push for Cho’s resignation, saying that even if each judge’s share was less than 100,000 won, it was still inappropriate. He also referred to reports of a senior judge accused of accepting favors from an associate of Kim Geon-hee.
Jung emphasized that resigning would protect the reputation of distinguished judges and accused the judiciary of betraying public trust. He criticized opposition claims that proposed judicial reforms, including increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, were retaliatory, arguing instead that they offered more resources to the judiciary.
Jung reiterated his goal to complete legislative reforms of the judiciary by the end of the year, pushing for swift processing of the ‘law distortion crime,’ which would penalize improper application of the law. Senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyeon confirmed that addressing this issue is a legislative priority for the regular parliamentary session.
Finally, Jung encouraged Democratic Party members on the Legislative and Judiciary Committee to continue their efforts boldly, pledging party support and cooperation in their activities.