KOR- Leaving Cho Hee-dae alone will lead to bigger trouble... Suspending his duties is also an urgent priority
- A parliamentary investigation as a compromise? Unnecessary when grounds for impeachment are sufficient
- Oh's acquittal is also a political ruling... Many 'insurrection cockroaches'
- Cho Hee-dae exerts indirect influence on the overall atmosphere of the judiciary
- Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to China? Signifies a fresh start based on the North Korea-China blood alliance
- Also a contest of wills to show Trump they are not desperate
- U.S. midterms? The Senate is key... 'Shy Trump' voters are a concern
- Jung Chung-rae's visa withheld? 'Taming' South Korea through America First policy
- Almost unable to receive one even with a diplomatic passport... Trump acting out of spite
- OPCON transfer? Must persuade Trump to pressure Brunson and the military establishment
■ Program: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: October 27, 2026 (Tuesday)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Kim Joon-hyung, Floor Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party
▷Kim Tae-hyun: As previewed earlier, we will now speak about current issues with Representative Kim Joon-hyung, Floor Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party. Welcome.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Hello.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: First, as the floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, let me ask you about parliamentary matters. I see that yesterday, you held a press conference urging the introduction of an impeachment motion against Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: You said, "Impeaching Cho Hee-dae is the mandate of the people." But according to news reports, it was not a press conference urging the introduction, but a declaration of introducing the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cho. What is the difference?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes. Things got a bit tangled. As you know, the requirement to introduce an impeachment motion is 100 lawmakers.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: An impeachment motion can only be introduced when there are 100 lawmakers.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That means the Democratic Party needs to join.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: But Representative Choi Hyuk-jin already holds the collected signatures. In other words, there was an initial draft prepared. The three of us—myself, Representative Choi Hyuk-jin, and Representative Lee Seong-yoon—were set to be the primary sponsors, and we had put it on hold. When we were about to submit it, the impeachment resolution had not been finalized at that time, and quite a few lawmakers had signed conditionally on it becoming official party policy.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: From the Democratic Party?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: From the Democratic Party. Right now, it is not official party policy. The Democratic Party leadership is hesitating. So internally, some suggested just submitting it, or having someone call around and submit it as proposed by Representative Lee Seong-yoon.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: But if we submitted it like that, some might say, "I never agreed to that," causing confusion. We needed to verify all the facts and ask whether they would maintain their signatures as originally stated before submitting. However, who should do that? Either Representative Choi Hyuk-jin or the Democratic Party needs to do it. Because I do not hold the original copy; among the three of us, Representative Choi Hyuk-jin has it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: So even checking that was burdensome for the Democratic Party, which is why it became a call to introduce the motion rather than an actual introduction—a call for introduction rather than a declaration of introduction.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Then the Rebuilding Korea Party's position has become a bit complicated.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: That is right. But we anticipated that to some extent, because there is nothing we can accomplish alone.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That is true. Do you think the Democratic Party leadership will do it?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: They feel very burdened. I met with Floor Leader Han Byung-do, and opinions within the party are complicated. So they are hesitating.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why do you think they feel burdened?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: There are probably several reasons. They worry, what if this only elevates Cho Hee-dae's stature? What if the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment? I do not see it that way. I believe that if we leave him alone, he will do far more things going forward.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative Kim, but looking at it from the Rebuilding Korea Party's perspective, you can push this forward without burden because of your distinct clarity. However, the Democratic Party is a massive party and the ruling party, so wouldn't there be a burden regarding the ruling party attempting to impeach the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? Such as public backlash.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: There surely is a burden. I understand that, but by missing the timing repeatedly, they have actually built up the situation and made it even more burdensome. We brought this up a year ago, and we believed there was already a problem starting from the remand with instructions.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But if things go poorly at the Constitutional Court...
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Even if it turns out badly, his term ends in June next year. For instance, this is wrong. Even if Cho Hee-dae is suspended from duties, someone can act on his behalf, and Supreme Court rulings would not be halted. On top of that, we are simultaneously arguing that the National Court Administration should also be abolished.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So some say that since his term ends next June, the Constitutional Court might not even deliver a ruling before then.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: That would amount to a de facto impeachment, wouldn't it?
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Some are suggesting that the real objective is to suspend Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae from his duties and tie his hands. Is that correct?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes. Suspending his duties is urgent. Because he is currently assigning judges through the National Court Administration, and cases like the Seoul mayor's case or Park Sung-jae could continue to emerge in the future. Therefore, I believe suspending his duties is the most urgent priority.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But if things go wrong, you could lose at the Constitutional Court. If people say, "We have the numbers, so let's tie his hands first and go for impeachment," wouldn't that be an abuse of the impeachment system?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: First of all, I believe the legal grounds for impeachment are already met. In the case of the Democratic Party, they are talking about a parliamentary investigation as an intermediate compromise. But a parliamentary investigation is practically a matter of interpretation; the issue is whether the existing facts constitute grounds for impeachment or not. What more is there to investigate?
▷Kim Tae-hyun: The facts are already out there?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I believe they are already out there.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Since it is a matter of legal judgment on those facts, a parliamentary investigation is unnecessary.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes. Legally, I believe the conditions for impeachment are satisfied.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: I see. Yesterday in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted on appeal. Naturally, the Democratic Party is criticizing that ruling. Democratic members of the committee were saying that the verdict was the fault of the Cho Hee-dae judiciary. Do you see it that way as well?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I see it that way, too. When that ruling came out, I stated strongly, "It feels as though all the hidden cockroaches of insurrection are crawling out." That is how it is, isn't it? They stay hidden until a certain moment, and then push back and make slight shifts like this—insurrection, like what Representative Kim Tae-kyu and others are saying in the National Assembly. I believe this series of movements is connected overall. I think there will be even bolder reactionary moves.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But Representative Kim, thinking about it on the surface, the Supreme Court en banc decision on the election law remand right before President Lee Jae-myung's presidential election was presided over by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, so people might hold him accountable. But this ruling was made by the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court, led by Presiding Judge Koo Hoe-geun. Chief Justice Cho did not write that ruling, did he?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: That ruling itself may be insufficient to serve as a reason for impeachment. But we are not seeking impeachment based solely on that. As I mentioned earlier, if we do not impeach him, the overall atmosphere will lead to more rulings like this. He exerts an indirect influence.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Are you saying that as long as Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae remains, the entire judiciary will drift toward reactionism?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I believe Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is already engaging in more political actions than any past Chief Justice. Things like refusing to renominate judges, for example.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In any case, then, Mayor Oh Se-hoon's appellate acquittal is also a political ruling?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes. That is how I see it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Do you view it as the judiciary trying to rescue Mayor Oh?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Because from a legal standpoint, I simply cannot comprehend it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Currently, Democratic Party Representatives Park Gyun-taek and Yang Bu-nam are being mentioned as candidates for Justice Minister. Of course, appointments are only certain once announced. How does the Rebuilding Korea Party view this? Driving judicial and prosecutorial reform strongly is the most vital task for your party. Do you think those two are suitable as candidates for Justice Minister?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: In the reform process, we did not oppose former candidate Kim Seung-won for Justice Minister despite some flaws. Rather, we opposed him heading the Serious Crimes Investigation Office. Looking at it that way, if these two are suitable for prosecutorial reform, we would support them; if it is about other areas... Since no one has been decided yet, it is premature to talk about support.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So neither candidate poses an issue overall?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I am not certain on that part yet.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Reserving judgment until they are announced.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes, once announced.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. From now on, since you served as head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and currently sit on the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, let us discuss your true area of expertise. North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un made a one-day trip to China. South Korean intelligence authorities said they already knew about it. The question is, why did he make a one-day trip right now? Usually, he takes a train for several days to visit Beijing. He travels by train instead of flying, which takes a long time. But this time, he crossed the Yalu River Bridge by car to Dandong and returned on the same day. At this timing. What could be the reason?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: It is unusual. Chairman Kim Jong-un has visited China six times; five times he met Xi Jinping, and once he did not. Not meeting him was also unusual. He went to China and did not meet him. But I think the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge is a major factor, as it opened after 12 years. Also, in June, Wang Huning, who was mentioned today, handled Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea, and Wang Huning traveled right in. The schedule this time is very similar. He visited the memorial hall for Chinese troops who supported North Korea, and then went to Wonsan-Kalma. This time too, he visited the Museum to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea and traveled by bus. This in itself signifies a fresh start between China and North Korea, a fresh start based on their blood alliance. Because the aspect of resisting U.S. aggression confirms the blood alliance, followed by economic cooperation. So those two factors were planned in their own right, and plus-alpha, it appears to be linked to a North Korea-U.S. summit.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So, ahead of a North Korea-U.S. summit, from Kim Jong-un's perspective, is he trying to say: "See that, Trump? I don't just have Putin behind me; I have Xi Jinping too. Russia is on my side, and China is on my side as well"? Is he trying to show this?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Exactly. Because North Korea-Russia and North Korea-China relations stand at this level. Right now, it sounds like Trump and Kim Jong-un are engaged in a psychological tug-of-war. I heard Trump initially courted him unilaterally and then made contacts in between. But lately, when reporters ask Trump about it, he gets annoyed.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That is right. They say he responds with "I don't know."
▶Kim Joon-hyung: North Korea is making many demands. Given their memory of 2019, North Korea opposes going there to negotiate with Trump on the spot. They are demanding concessions before going. And what this visit shows is: "We are not desperate like we were in 2018 and 2019. We have options, and we have China." I think there is an aspect of demonstrating that.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: To build leverage, and to pressure President Trump, who is eager for a Nobel Peace Prize. But why did he make it a one-day trip? He could have planned to visit Beijing.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: For that, Xi Jinping simply does not have the time. The 5th Plenum, an extremely important party event, is taking place, so he has no time at all.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: I see.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Furthermore, they need to prepare for APEC on October 17 and 18. Visiting Beijing could be an inconvenience. I think it may have been calculated that going only that far was cleaner.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In any case, a one-day trip to Dandong means he cannot meet Xi Jinping. Xi cannot travel all the way from Beijing to Dandong just to meet Chairman Kim.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: In 2018, because of urgency, he traveled as far as Tianjin.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Really?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: It wasn't Dandong, but he did travel out before.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Putting aside that he couldn't meet President Xi Jinping, the official he met was not Premier Li Qiang, the number two, but Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, ranked fourth in the hierarchy. Did China give Chairman Kim Jong-un the cold shoulder, or what was that? Since President Xi could not come to Dandong, couldn't they have at least sent the Premier? Why the fourth-ranked official?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: As I mentioned earlier, he is the same figure who handled the previous visit to China. You can think of this man somewhat like Zhuge Liang. He is a strategist, crafting the overarching vision.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Xi Jinping's political strategist.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: A master strategist. Thinking of him as Zhuge Liang makes it easier to understand. Furthermore, Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also there. Considering that, while his ranking is lower, Li Qiang deals exclusively with domestic economic affairs.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So it was not a snub?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I do not believe it was a snub.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: North Korea's Rodong Sinmun published around 30 photos and made a huge deal out of it. Naturally, Rodong Sinmun would do that. However, the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, reportedly treated it briefly as a routine activity report on Wang Huning. Why was that?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Because what China is somewhat wary of right now is that if a North Korea-U.S. summit takes place around APEC, it could completely overshadow APEC. They want to ensure this does not overshadow China's interests and diplomacy. They treated him lavishly in their own way, but handled it so as not to affect China as a whole.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So in Xi Jinping's mind, meeting Trump at the upcoming APEC summit is far more important than Kim Jong-un's visit to China?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: APEC is much bigger. It is the most important, and the question is how to handle Trump without disrupting APEC. China also believes good North Korea-U.S. relations are advantageous to them, but in that case, they prefer it happen after APEC. Doing it after is better than before. If it takes place, I think it will follow APEC.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: The North Korea-U.S. summit.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: I see. Kim Jong-un hasn't passed away, right?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Whenever a dissident Chinese figure who frequently lies floats that, tabloids like the New York Post or The Sun pick it up. I think our domestic media makes far too much fuss over it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why do death rumors emerge so often?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: If they were true, he would have died a dozen times already. It was the same way during Kim Il-sung's time.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Really? Understood. Let us talk about the United States. The midterm elections are coming up. How do you see the outlook? Media reports are predicting a crushing defeat for the Republicans and for Trump.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: What can be stated with certainty is that the House is almost 100% lost. The margin right now is only four seats, and Republicans will lose the House. In the Senate, however, where 35 seats are up for election—since one-third turns over—22 of those 35 seats belong to Republicans. People might think Democrats have a great chance, but most of those 22 seats are comparable to Gyeongbuk and Daegu in our country.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In South Korean terms.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: In our terms, Yeongnam. Yet even there, most notably in Texas and Alaska...
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Texas is truly a conservative stronghold.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Alaska is also trailing enough to pull our investments. But as many point out, there are 'Shy Trump' voters here as well. The stranger Trump acts, the less people can openly support him, but they still go and cast their ballots for him. So if things go well, Democrats could flip it 51 to 49. Otherwise, it could be 50-50, or the current Republican majority might be maintained. That will truly only be known on election day.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Trump still has punch. What are you watching closely in these midterms?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Even if Democrats only take Texas and Alaska, reaching 50-50, the Vice President casts the tie-breaking vote. That wouldn't be a loss.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Indeed. Representative Kim, what if Trump loses both the Senate and the House in the midterms?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I hope that happens. It would be far more favorable for us.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It certainly would be for South Korea.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: What they are publicly promising is the removal of tariffs. The tariff pressure on us would disappear.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: If the Democrats win.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes. Of course, Trump says he will veto everything.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Right.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Still, his leverage will definitely be weakened.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Could he be impeached?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Impeachment is impossible given the composition in the U.S.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why is that?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: To impeach, introducing a motion has been done multiple times and is possible; it only requires a simple majority in the House. But in the Senate, it takes a two-thirds majority.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Ah, that is not easy.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Sixty-seven seats. Is reaching 67 seats possible?
▷Kim Tae-hyun: There is no way Republican senators would vote in favor. That makes sense. Also, Representative Jung Chung-rae was denied a visa when trying to visit the U.S. for the parliamentary audit this time.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: He traveled together with me on our committee team.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But reports show that last year, 1 out of 4 U.S. visitor visa applications filed by South Korean citizens was rejected.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Last February, there was a United Nations meeting, and despite holding a diplomatic passport, I was told to obtain a visa first, and that visa was not issued until the day before. If it hadn't arrived, I was prepared to go and risk deportation, but it was issued the day right before. So fundamentally, regarding visas...
▷Kim Tae-hyun: You are a member of the National Assembly and a former head of the National Diplomatic Academy.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I hold a diplomatic passport.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why didn't it come out?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Requiring someone with a diplomatic passport to obtain a visa is, in fact, sheer pettiness.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Indeed.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: And because it didn't arrive until the day before, I almost couldn't go either.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why is that happening?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: The United States is being very petty overall regarding immigration and passports. That is a hallmark of the broader America First stance. Furthermore, working-level officials are using this to, shall we say, 'tame' others, especially South Korea. Denying visas to incoming intelligence officers, or refusing to accept National Intelligence Service officers traveling there—working-level officials are clearly acting out of spite in these ways.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It is widely reported that they are stingy with visas due to anti-immigration sentiment. But current reports indicate that the refusal rate for South Korean citizens is higher compared to countries like Japan.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: With Representative Jung Chung-rae's case and your case, isn't this happening disproportionately to our country right now?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: On top of that, there is a blacklist. Just as the U.S. demands full disclosure of social media accounts, there is likely a blacklist from the U.S. perspective that includes both Representative Jung Chung-rae and myself.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: You as well?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Of course. I never receive invitations to any events hosted by the U.S. here.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Really?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: When there are anniversary celebrations and parties, I am not invited.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Because of criticizing President Trump on social media and such?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: I presume I have been designated because of things like that.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Let us look at one final issue. Regarding the wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer, the Ministry of National Defense aims to determine the target year for the OPCON transition at the ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to be held late this year. Minister Kang Shin-chul stated that close consultations with the U.S. are underway. However, remarks from USFK Commander Brunson seem somewhat different. Do you expect this consultation to go smoothly?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Put simply, for Trump, the issue is money. But the military establishment does not want to hand it over because South Korea is too crucial for checking China. So while drills are canceled in front of Trump, Commander Brunson insists they must be conducted year-round elsewhere. Behind Trump's back, the military does not want to yield operational control. Therefore, we must persuade Trump to pressure the military.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Would Trump hand it over?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: To Trump, that is not what matters; if we pay a lot of money and cover the costs, he would rather just hand it over. But since Trump has only two years left, the military establishment wants to keep dragging its feet behind his back to avoid handing it over, by stalling or making statements that contradict Trump.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: What should we do if consultations with the U.S. fall through?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: That is why I believe we should unilaterally set a timeline. It would be great to agree on late 2028, but if not, we can simply reclaim it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Can we simply do that?
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Because it is not about commanding U.S. forces; we only need to take back command over our own South Korean military.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. We will conclude today's interview here. We have been speaking with Representative Kim Joon-hyung, Floor Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party. Thank you.
▶Kim Joon-hyung: Thank you.
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[SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show]
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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