During a comprehensive national audit held by the National Assembly's Legislative Judiciary Committee on October 26, a dispute erupted between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in his appeal trial, escalating to discussions about the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Choi Hee-dae. The Democratic Party of Korea criticized Choi's accountability in light of recent rulings and the issue of Supreme Court justice recommendations, while the People Power Party defended the independence of the judiciary against claims of judicial overreach.
The committee conducted the audit of the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Legislative Affairs Office. The session was briefly suspended due to a heated exchange regarding the entry of former lawyers for President Lee Jae-myung into public office.
A key point of contention was the appellate ruling in Oh's political funding law violation case. The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7, led by Judge Koo Hoe-geun, overturned a lower court's guilty verdict on October 23, declaring Oh not guilty of charges related to the alleged payment of polling expenses by Myungtaekyun.
The Democratic Party launched a critique of the appellate court's evidence assessment. Representative Kim Gi-pyo described the ruling as "utterly chaotic," asserting that if such judgments are made for Mayor Oh, no politician would face punishment. Seo Young-kyu, chair of the committee, also raised concerns that the rejection of evidence accepted in the lower court could undermine public trust in the judiciary.
Representative Lee Seong-yoon linked the issue of Supreme Court justice recommendations and trials involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol, asserting that "impeachment of Chief Justice Choi is the only answer," connecting individual rulings to the accountability of the judiciary's leadership.
Noh Kyung-pil, head of the Supreme Court Administrative Office, countered that the Chief Justice and individual court decisions should be distinguished. He stated, "No one, including the Chief Justice, can or does interfere with lower court rulings," emphasizing that each court independently determines guilt or innocence based on evidence and facts.
Regarding the specific judgment in Oh's case, Noh remarked, "It is inappropriate for the head of the court administration to comment on individual cases," adding that any legal issues with the ruling could be adequately addressed through the appeals process.
In response to criticisms surrounding Supreme Court justice recommendations, Noh noted, "I understand that the Chief Justice has already made recommendations." He explained that despite concerns about the concentration of judicial power in the Chief Justice, judicial appointments are made through the Judicial Personnel Committee and the Supreme Court Council, indicating that decisions are not made unilaterally.
The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party for using individual court outcomes as grounds for impeachment against Chief Justice Choi. Representative Kwak Gyu-taek remarked, "Mayor Oh accepted the ruling and received a not guilty verdict," questioning why the Democratic Party is not protesting for a quicker trial for the Lee Jae-myung case.
Representative Yoon Sang-hyun pointed out that calling for the Chief Justice's impeachment whenever a desired ruling is not achieved undermines judicial independence. Representative Park Hyung-soo argued that attacks on court rulings by political figures have gone too far, asserting that the reasons for impeachment proposed by the Democratic Party do not apply to Chief Justice Choi.
Conflicts also arose over the entry of individuals who previously served as lawyers for President Lee into public office. Representative Kim Min-jeon of the People Power Party presented materials titled "Entry of Key Officials Related to Lee Jae-myung's Trial," claiming that key positions in major institutions are filled by the president's lawyers.
The materials included names of Democratic Party representatives Park Kyun-taek, Kim Gi-pyo, and Kim Dong-a, along with the phrase "Kim Hyun-ji management?" Democratic Party members protested, calling it an insult to fellow lawmakers. When Chair Seo requested that the content be omitted from questioning, members of the People Power Party objected, leading to a heated exchange that prompted Seo to announce a suspension of the audit.
After approximately 25 minutes, the audit resumed, but disputes continued. Democratic Party Representative Kim Han-kyu criticized the claim that three Democratic Party lawmakers were managed by Kim Hyun-ji, the head of the Blue House's first secretariat, as "a tremendous insult to fellow committee members." Representative Kim Min-jeon continued to question the materials related to this issue after the audit resumed.
During the afternoon session, Representative Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party alleged that Kim Hye-kyung played golf with a famous professional golfer on October 20. The Democratic Party dismissed the claim as "an absurd story" and announced plans for legal action, while the Blue House countered that it was "an unfounded assertion by a politician."
Discussions also addressed the need for improvements in systems to protect victims of stalking and dating violence. Acting Minister of Justice Lee Jin-soo responded to inquiries from Democratic Party Representative Kim Nam-hee, acknowledging gaps in current laws regarding coercive acts that do not involve violence or threats. He stated that legal amendments are necessary to allow for protective measures even in the absence of direct violent acts, emphasizing the need for legislative changes to ensure victim protection.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.