MINJU Pushes for First-Ever Parliamentary Investigation into Chief Justice... What About Impeachment?

[Anchor]

The MINJU Party has decided to conduct a parliamentary investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. While the party announced plans to submit a request for the investigation to the plenary session on November 5, the People Power Party strongly pushed back, calling it an outright suppression of the judiciary and vowing to use every available means to block it.

Reporter Jeon Yeon-nam reports.

[Reporter]

On the afternoon of yesterday (October 27), the MINJU Party held a general meeting of lawmakers and reached a consensus to conduct a parliamentary investigation into Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.

Although calls for the chief justice's impeachment were also raised within the party, the decision was finalized to prioritize a parliamentary investigation first, as MINJU leader Kim Min-seok previously stated.

[Jeon Eun-soo / MINJU Floor Spokesperson: Everyone was in agreement that a parliamentary investigation must be conducted. Therefore, we decided to proceed with the parliamentary investigation.]

The MINJU Party plans to submit a request for a parliamentary investigation into Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to the National Assembly plenary session on November 5.

Once the request is submitted, the National Assembly Speaker must report it to the plenary session without delay and establish an investigation committee.

Although the specific schedule and scope of the investigation have not yet been finalized, it is expected to include all the issues previously raised by the broader ruling camp, such as Chief Justice Cho's refusal to re-nominate Supreme Court justice candidates, allegations of improper execution of operational funds, and refusal to take the witness oath.

The Rebuilding Korea Party, which has consistently demanded joining in an impeachment, repeatedly proposed pursuing impeachment concurrently with the parliamentary probe, while the People Power Party fiercely denounced the move, stating, "A parliamentary investigation into Chief Justice Cho is unconstitutional and an attempt to enslave the judiciary."

[Jeong Jeom-sig / People Power Party Floor Leader: This is even more despicable and malicious than impeachment. This is an outright suppression of the judiciary, and we will fight against the tyrannical abuse of a parliamentary investigation by the giant ruling party.]

The People Power Party vowed to mobilize all available means to block the parliamentary investigation and plans to convene a general meeting of lawmakers soon to discuss countermeasures.

With the growing likelihood of an unprecedented parliamentary investigation into a chief justice in constitutional history, a head-on clash between the ruling and opposition parties appears inevitable.

(Video by Oh Young-choon, Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Won Hyeong-hee)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.