[Anchor]

As the parliamentary audit nears its end, the ruling and opposition parties clashed at today's (October 26) comprehensive audit of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's refusal to re-recommend a Supreme Court Justice nominee and the appellate court ruling on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Reporter Kim Hye-min has our first report.

[Reporter]

At today's comprehensive audit of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

With the National Court Administration, the Constitutional Court, and the Ministry of Justice in attendance, the ruling party raised issues over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's refusal to re-nominate a Supreme Court Justice candidate and the reduction of sentences on appeal for insurrection defendants.

[Lee Seong-yun / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "He showed arrogance in this manner, acting as if he were an emperor, conducting political trials, and playing politics. I believe impeaching Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is the only answer. What do you think, Minister?"]

[Roh Kyung-pil / Minister of the National Court Administration: "I believe it is not appropriate to refer to what the Cho Hee-dae judiciary has done in such a manner. Furthermore, regarding the nomination issue, my understanding is that the Chief Justice has already made the nomination."]

The offensive also targeted last week's appellate court ruling that acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Political Funds Act violations.

[Kim Ki-pyo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Overall, it is a completely flawed ruling. The logic itself is so jumbled that it can hardly be called a decision from a high court, and it is a nonsensical ruling."]

In contrast, the People Power Party countered by calling it a build-up to impeaching Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and demanding the resumption of trials involving President Lee Jae-myung.

[Kwak Kyu-taek / People Power Party Lawmaker: "Why aren't the trials regarding President Lee Jae-myung proceeding quickly? Wouldn't protesting that first be the right thing to do? Yet, from the very beginning, you started with a build-up toward impeaching Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae."]

Furthermore, as the People Power Party took issue with lawyers who represented President Lee Jae-myung in related cases taking high-ranking public offices, heated shouts were exchanged between the ruling and opposition parties, temporarily halting the audit.

During the afternoon audit, People Power Party Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo claimed that First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, played golf with a famous professional golfer on October 20.

In response, the Democratic Party called it "absurd fiction" and announced it would take legal action, while the presidential office also issued a statement describing it as "a politician's one-sided claim not based on facts."

(Video by Won Hyeong-hui)