[Anchor]

Appearing at the National Assembly's parliamentary audit, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae stated that under the Constitution, neither the president nor the National Assembly can interfere with the Chief Justice's recommendation of Supreme Court justices. He also countered that interference by the National Assembly, including the Democratic Party, in the Chief Justice's recommendation is unconstitutional, running counter to the separation of powers and judicial independence.

Park Jae-yeon reports.

[Reporter]

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae attended the parliamentary audit of the Supreme Court held by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee yesterday morning (October 6).

Maintaining his position that he was attending as the head of an institution rather than as a witness, Chief Justice Cho took direct aim in his opening remarks, stating that pro-government lawmakers demanding his attendance after adopting him as a regular witness was an "infringement on the separation of powers."

[Cho Hee-dae / Chief Justice: "Demanding testimony regarding the Chief Justice's recommendation of Supreme Court justices risks undermining the principles of the separation of powers and judicial independence."]

When his request to be excused was not granted, Chief Justice Cho remained in his seat throughout the morning while refusing to take the witness oath, and rival lawmakers engaged in a sharp war of words.

[Kim Eui-kyeom / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "I believe that answering what the public is curious about is a natural duty, not only as the Chief Justice, but also as a public official."]

[Park Hyung-soo / People Power Party Lawmaker: "This is an act of arrest and detention by the power of the majority. Isn't it because a request for resubmission was made? Then who should appear? It should be President Lee Jae-myung who appears."]

Chief Justice Cho, who had remained silent, pulled out a paper he had prepared and began his rebuttal as questions continued regarding the "issue of resubmitting Supreme Court justice recommendations."

[Kim Ki-pyo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Isn't the Chief Justice too caught up in obstinacy and a test of wills with the president?"]

[Cho Hee-dae / Chief Justice: "Interfering with the Chief Justice's recommendation is an unconstitutional measure that goes against the distribution of powers among state institutions explicitly set forth in the Constitution and the independence of judicial power."]

The Democratic Party criticized that the president's appointment power takes precedence,

[Park Gyun-taek / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Refusing to resubmit a recommendation denies the president's appointment power stipulated in the Constitution."]

while the People Power Party focused on defending Chief Justice Cho.

[Kwak Kyu-taek / People Power Party Lawmaker: "Has the separation of powers and judicial independence ever been shaken like this by the president, the administration, and the ruling party?"]

After not appearing since the afternoon, Chief Justice Cho returned to the audit room late at night and delivered his closing remarks, saying, "I will make every effort so that the Supreme Court can achieve complete composition," to which Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo criticized, "Many people must have perceived Chief Justice Cho as being very arrogant."

(Video by Oh Young-choon, Shin Dong-hwan, and Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin)