S. Korea Assembly audit clashes over chief justice's exit after greeting

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held its audit of the Supreme Court on 6 October, and the session began with a clash between the ruling and opposition parties over whether Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae should leave the chamber after his opening greeting. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Cho attended the audit and read the institutional greeting he had prepared, but did not take the witness oath. According to Yonhap and SBS News, he had been adopted as a general witness at the Democratic Party's initiative and filed a statement of non-attendance, arguing that testifying about the exercise of his authority to recommend Supreme Court justice candidates would run against the separation of powers and judicial independence. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom said Cho had an obligation to take the oath and answer questions, adding that the chief justice's recommendation of a candidate without agreement with the Blue House could be a break with custom. Yonhap and SBS reported that although chief justices normally leave after the greeting and the minister of court administration answers as the institution's representative, Cho was not allowed to leave this time. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]

Committee chairwoman Seo Young-kyo, of the Democratic Party, warned that if the refusal to take the witness oath had no justifiable reason, follow-up measures could be taken under the law on testimony and appraisal in the National Assembly. People Power Party lawmakers placed placards reading “Stop destroying the judiciary” on their laptops and called for Cho to be allowed to leave. Park Hyung-soo said chief justices had for decades given a greeting, left, and returned near the end of the audit, and that the custom was meant to respect the independence of the judiciary; he described keeping the chief justice seated as “an act of arrest and confinement by the force of the majority” and said President Lee Jae-myung should appear if Cho did. Shouts from the opposition benches included “If he comes out, Lee Jae-myung must too,” “Step down, dictatorship” and “Legislative dictatorship,” while chairwoman Seo responded that the remarks were rude, arrogant and violent, and the audit hall filled with raised voices and arguments. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]

Newsis reported that Cho said the Blue House document requesting the re-request did not clearly state specific reasons and a constitutional basis, and that its intent was difficult to understand, adding that he had a duty to explain to the public and the National Assembly while upholding constitutional principles. In its later combined report, Newsis also carried a Democratic Party lawmaker's remark that the Supreme Court under Cho had long lost public trust, and a heading referring to a Justice Party remark calling Cho a “second Yoon Suk-yeol” that Cho described as insulting, with People Power Party lawmakers crowding around the chair's seat in protest. The Newsis article was partly truncated. [ 1 , 5 ]

As the confrontation continued, chairwoman Seo suspended People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-kyu's speaking rights, and the session was recessed. Dong-A Ilbo reported that Kim protested outside the committee chair's office, asking why only his right to debate had been suspended, with Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won telling him to be quiet and chairwoman Seo warning he could be removed if he returned. [ 5 , 8 ]

Dong-A Ilbo reported that Cho stayed in the chamber for about 150 minutes, answering questions only from some ruling-party lawmakers, and that he did not appear after the afternoon session resumed. Chairwoman Seo said of his departure, “He left on his own, so I cannot help pointing it out,” adding that he had neither taken the oath nor answered fully even though appearing, swearing and answering are obligations for a National Assembly witness. [ 7 ]

The confrontation echoed last year's audit, when the parties also clashed over Cho's departure. Yonhap and SBS reported that Cho was adopted as a general witness then too, left after about one hour and 30 minutes when permission was granted, and neither took the oath nor answered lawmakers' questions. Before this year's session, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said he expected chairwoman Seo to moderate any points that looked excessive to the public while still asking and examining everything needed. [ 2 , 4 ]