Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae States Position on Supreme Court Justice Nomination Process
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae recently stated his position regarding the procedures for nominating Supreme Court Justices. The controversy began on August 18, when Chief Justice Cho submitted a written nomination for Daegu District Court Presiding Judge Son Bong-gi as a Supreme Court Justice candidate without prior consultation with the Presidential Office.
In response, the Presidential Office officially requested on August 28 that Chief Justice Cho re-nominate a candidate for Supreme Court Justice. The lack of prior consultation between the Chief Justice and the President is analyzed as the primary reason for this request for re-nomination.
Regarding this, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae explained, "There is no constitutional basis for consulting with the President to nominate Supreme Court Justices." He emphasized that such cooperation had been a matter of voluntary custom until now.
This incident is drawing social attention to the independence of the judiciary and its cooperative relationship with the executive branch. Many citizens are watching closely to see how the Supreme Court Justice appointment process will proceed in the future.