Why president, chief justice are clashing over Supreme Court seat
President Lee Jae Myung and Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, at odds for more than a year, are now locked in their most direct confrontation yet over the appointment of a Supreme Court justice. Cheong Wa Dae said Friday it would not submit to the National Assembly the confirmation motion for Sohn Bong-ki, a senior judge at the Daegu District Court nominated by Cho, and asked the chief justice to…
President Lee Jae Myung and Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae have been locked in a prolonged clash over the appointment of a Supreme Court justice, now reaching a critical point. The National Assembly will not receive the confirmation motion for Sohn Bong-ki, a senior judge nominated by Cho, and the chief justice has been asked to suggest an alternative.
Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung maintains that appointing and recommending justices are "assigned to different constitutional institutions," asserting that Cho should honor the president's powers to make the final decision. The People Power Party, the main opposition, contends that this could undermine the chief justice's constitutional authority and jeopardize judicial independence.
However, the dispute did not originate with Sohn's nomination. It traces back to a Supreme Court ruling just weeks before the 2025 presidential election which left Lee's campaign uncertain.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Why president, chief justice are clashing over Supreme Court seat koreatimes.co.kr
