Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae stated during the Supreme Court parliamentary audit today (the 6th) that, "The official request from the presidential office for a re-nomination did not clearly state specific reasons or constitutional grounds, leading to difficulties in proceeding with subsequent steps."

Chief Justice Cho made the remarks during his opening address at the parliamentary audit of the Supreme Court held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly this morning, regarding the issue of nominating Supreme Court justices. He said, "I feel deeply apologetic for causing concern to the public due to the prolonged vacancies of Supreme Court justices," and elaborated on the matter.

It is customary for the Chief Justice to leave the audit after delivering an opening remarks statement. However, Cho has remained in his seat because the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, led by the Democratic Party, previously adopted him as a general witness and demanded that he provide testimony.

Chief Justice Cho refused to take the oath or comply with the demand for testimony, citing the principles of the separation of powers and judicial independence.

In his opening address, he stated, "As many citizens are paying close attention, I will explain the background," and addressed the nomination conflict.

Chief Justice Cho explained, "I carefully reviewed the qualifications and capabilities of the Supreme Court justice candidates recommended by the Supreme Court Justice Recommendation Committee and continuously consulted for subsequent procedures, but ultimately proceeded with the nomination without reaching a final agreement."

He continued, "We received an official document from the presidential office asking us to re-nominate Supreme Court candidates, but that document did not clearly state the specific reasons and constitutional grounds for requesting us to bypass the appointment process for the already nominated candidates and instead nominate others," adding, "It was difficult to grasp the intent based solely on the contents of the document."

"Accordingly, I determined that there were difficulties in proceeding with subsequent steps," he added, noting, "This was based on the principle that the Chief Justice's right to nominate, the National Assembly's right to consent, and the President's right to appoint must each be respected in accordance with their constitutional significance."

Chief Justice Cho also expressed regret for causing concern through the prolonged Supreme Court vacancies and stated his commitment to resolving the vacancies.

He stated, "I deeply feel the necessity to resolve the Supreme Court vacancies," and added, "Moving forward, I will make the necessary efforts to ensure that the composition of the Supreme Court is fully restored as soon as possible in accordance with the principles set by the Constitution and laws."

Following his opening remarks, in response to a question from Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairperson Seo Young-kyo asking whether he was refusing to take the witness oath, Chief Justice Cho replied, "As I stated at the beginning, I must inform you that I cannot take the oath or provide testimony."

(Photo: Yonhap News)