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Ruling party pressure on chief justice threatens democracy

Published: 16 Sep. 2025, 00:00

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (center), strikes the gavel to open a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Sept. 15. [YONHAP]

The government and ruling party are escalating their pressure on the judiciary. After pushing for measures such as increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, the Democratic Party has now openly called for Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's resignation.

At a leadership meeting on Sept. 15, party leader Jung Chung-rae demanded, "Chief Justice Jo must apologize and resign," adding, "Is the chief justice above the president, beyond the reach of the people's impeachment?" A day earlier, Choo Mi-ae, chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, accused Jo of undermining the speed and fairness of the trials related to the insurrection.

The controversy soon spread to the presidential office. Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung initially said the office "generally agreed" with the criticism. However, after some backlash, she held a second briefing to clarify that her remarks had been misinterpreted and that the office had "no specific position." Despite the retreat, the suggestion that a chief justice—whose term is guaranteed by the Constitution—should be forced out is inappropriate. Judicial independence cannot coexist with efforts by the ruling bloc to oust the head of the judiciary.

This is not the first time the Democratic Party has targeted Jo. In May, after the Supreme Court returned President Lee Jae Myung’s election law violation case with a ruling in favor of conviction, some party lawmakers demanded Jo’s resignation and even threatened impeachment and a special tribunal. They backed down ahead of the June 3 presidential election, but revived the call just three months later.

This latest demand arose after a Sept. 12 meeting of court presidents, where judges argued that the judiciary must be part of any discussion on judicial reform. Rather than welcoming the view, the ruling bloc turned its fire on Jo. Such reactions suggest political motives.

The party is also pushing ahead with its plans for a special tribunal on insurrection, now rebranded as a "dedicated tribunal" to deflect constitutional challenges. On Sept. 15, Representative Jeon Hyun-heui went further, calling for an "urgent tribunal on state corruption." With the legislature and executive already under ruling party control, these attempts to reshape the judiciary to the Democratic Party's preference could shake the foundations of our democracy.

Chief Justice Jo Hee-de returns to his seat after delivering commemorative remarks during the “Korean Court's Day” ceremony at the Supreme Court in Seocho District, Seoul, on Sept. 12. [YONHAP]

The People Power Party has reacted strongly. Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk warned that the presidential office was seeking to remove Jo in order to overturn Lee's conviction, while former leader Han Dong-hoon said that forcing out the chief justice would constitute a grave constitutional violation and grounds for impeachment.

Judicial reform measures, from adding justices to creating dedicated tribunals, require careful discussion among the ruling and opposition parties and the judiciary itself. The ruling bloc's decision to try to enact these changes by pressuring the chief justice, without dialogue or negotiation, is dangerous. The government and ruling party must not erode the principle of separation of powers, which was designed to prevent abuse of the state's authority.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.