Reform Party offers People Power Party joint action if Chief Justice Cho is impeached

The Reform Party (개혁신당) said on 22 October that it would join the People Power Party (국민의힘) in joint action if the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party (조국혁신당) actually file an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Cho Hee-de (조희대). Yonhap described the Democratic Party and Rebuilding Korea Party as the ruling bloc. [ 1 , 3 ]

Lee Ki-in (이기인), chair of the Reform Party's emergency committee, made the offer at the committee's meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, which Newsis said was held in the morning. He called it an open proposal to the People Power Party, which he described as the main opposition party. According to Lee, the aim would be to protect judicial independence and the constitutional order. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Lee said the parties could hold a nationwide signature campaign and, if necessary, take part in rough methods of struggle. He also called on the People Power Party to combine the response possible inside the National Assembly with the strength that can be gathered outside it, saying the Reform Party and he would not avoid the responsibility required. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Lee said that the previous day Kim Jun-hyung (김준형), floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, handed the impeachment motion against Cho to Han Byung-do (한병도), floor leader of the Democratic Party, and asked for it to be pursued jointly. Newsis quoted him as saying the motion had not yet been filed but that the sides had passed beyond a political threat to exchanging a concrete motion. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Lee said the essence of the impeachment effort was to bring the judiciary under the will of power as soon as possible. He said it would not end with removing one person but would warn the whole judiciary that anyone could lose their post for a ruling unfavourable to power. [ 1 ]

As reported by Newsis, Lee said a ruling sending a case back for retrial with a guilty finding was a judgment on a case the judiciary was handling. He said the court did not have to halt a trial because of an upcoming election, and that an unfavourable ruling for the ruling power was not grounds for impeachment. He also said that the power to recommend Supreme Court justices is given to the Chief Justice by the constitution, and asked how the separation of powers could be kept if using that power against the president's wishes became a ground for impeachment. [ 3 ]

Seoul Shinmun reported that Lee also warned that if the motion passed, Cho's duties would be suspended, which could disrupt the judiciary and delay trials. He criticised the ruling party, saying it had impeached and cut budgets freely when in opposition and was now doing the same while holding government and parliamentary control. [ 2 ]