Chief Presidential Secretary Visits Chief Justice's Father's Wake Amid Standoff

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief Presidential Secretary, visited the wake for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's late father to pay his respects and convey condolences from President Lee Jae-myung.

Chief Secretary Kang visited the funeral parlor in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, this afternoon (August 31) and stated, "As President Lee was unable to attend in person, he sent his Chief Secretary," delivering deep condolences to Chief Justice Cho and the bereaved family on behalf of the President.

Kang added, "Chief Justice Cho asked me to make sure to convey his gratitude to President Lee."

When asked about the unprecedented situation regarding the "re-nomination of Supreme Court justices," he refrained from commenting, saying, "I believe stopping here is the proper attitude toward someone experiencing such profound sorrow."

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok, Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairperson Seo Young-kyo, and lawmakers Kim Ki-pyo and Kim Nam-hee are also scheduled to visit the wake tonight to mourn the deceased and comfort the bereaved family.

This visit comes as the presidential office and the judiciary have been locked in severe conflict over the nomination of Supreme Court justice candidates.

Previously, Chief Justice Cho submitted a "written nomination" for Supreme Court justice candidates without prior coordination with the President, leading the presidential office to reject it and demand a re-nomination, escalating into a direct clash between the ruling bloc and the judiciary.

After Chief Justice Cho expressed his intention not to attend the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting scheduled for today, the Democratic Party even hinted at legal action. However, following the passing of Chief Justice Cho's father, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee canceled its scheduled plenary meeting.

The committee originally planned to hold a pending issues questioning session today to closely examine the controversy surrounding the written nomination. However, following Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok's plea to refrain from political strife and show proper courtesy during the mourning period, it was decided not to hold the meeting.

Earlier, leader Kim requested through a party-wide notice, "I ask that you refrain from directly mentioning or calling out Chief Justice Cho as an individual during the funeral period."

Attention is focused on whether the visits by ruling bloc figures to the wake of Chief Justice Cho's father will serve as a turning point in the intensifying standoff between the ruling camp and the judiciary.

(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Yang Hae-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.