0
Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party (center), speaks during an emergency meeting on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on May 14. At right is Yoo Sang-bum, the committee’s senior member. / Source: Yonhap News

People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Kweon Seong-dong sharply criticized the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on May 14 for proceeding with a National Assembly hearing on Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, calling it a “grotesque character assassination” and a “barbaric parliamentary coup.”

Speaking during an emergency session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Kweon denounced the timing of the confirmation hearing, which comes just 20 days before the presidential election, as a political attack. “This is the start of Lee Jae-myung’s authoritarian politics, an attempt to replace the separation of powers with domination over all three branches of government,” he declared.

Kweon accused the DPK of retaliating against Supreme Court justices for allegedly harming the image of “defendant Lee Jae-myung, the ‘father’ of the Democratic Party,” by dragging them into a politicized hearing. “They are painting the Supreme Court as a criminal organization in order to clear the way for a convicted felon to become president. This is a barbaric coup against our legislative and judicial institutions,” he said.

He vowed that the PPP would resist this "anti-constitutional, anti-democratic coup" by participating in the hearing to defend judicial independence. “We will ensure that the arrogant forces who belittle both the judiciary and the people are judged by the public on June 3,” he added.

Kweon also criticized first-term Democratic lawmakers who proposed a special counsel bill targeting Chief Justice Cho, calling them “tearfully loyal Red Guards” sacrificing their own campaigns to shield Lee. He applauded Cho and other justices for refusing to attend the hearing, saying it was a “reasonable and principled decision to protect the judiciary’s honor.”

Kweon lashed out at Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Jung Chung-rae for suggesting that a special counsel and parliamentary inquiry were now necessary. “This kind of ‘obey or be punished’ attitude shows the DPK’s crude power mentality,” he said.

“The Lee Jae-myung faction threatens the Supreme Court and exacts retribution whenever rulings go against them,” Kweon continued. “This is base political violence that must be strongly condemned.”

He urged Chief Justice Cho and the Supreme Court to “never yield,” warning that if the top court succumbs to political intimidation, “what faith can the ordinary citizen have in justice?”

Lastly, he called on judges attending the National Judges’ Council to stand firm: “If the judiciary sides with the DPK’s coercion, it will forever stain the court’s history with shame. Please protect the honor and independence of the judiciary.”