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Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae speaks during a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on November 28. / Source: Yonhap News

The Democratic Party on Monday reaffirmed its plan to establish a dedicated court division for insurrection cases before the end of the year, saying judicial normalization is essential amid what it described as deepening distrust of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s judiciary.

At a supreme council meeting, party leader Jung Chung-rae said, “A year has passed since the insurrection, but its shadow has not yet lifted. Not one person has been held accountable, and public anxiety is growing over the idea that Yoon Suk-yeol is freely walking the streets after being released. With a dedicated insurrection division, we will carry out the people’s mandate to fully settle the aftermath of the insurrection.”

Jung pledged to pass year-end judicial reform bills that include establishing the insurrection court division, expanding the number of Supreme Court justices and adopting a new “distortion of law” offense aimed at punishing fabricated indictments.

Supreme council member Jeon Hyun-hee added that the Chae Hae-byeong special counsel had attempted an unrestrained, thorough investigation but had faced “organized resistance, obstruction and inexplicable warrant dismissals,” pointing to what she said was the judiciary’s failure to approve warrants in all but one case involving former division commander Im Sung-geun. “We cannot avoid holding Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s judiciary accountable,” she said.

Budget negotiations also dominated the meeting as the legal deadline approached. Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-ki warned that a single day’s delay would halt essential programs. “The budget determines people’s livelihoods. Even one day late means suspending key initiatives — regional economic recovery, childcare and education support, and AI future-industry investment,” he said.

Kim noted that most working-level discussions had wrapped up and called for the People Power Party to stop dragging out the process. “Clinging to cutbacks only delays the outcome and harms the public. The budget should not be used as a bargaining chip,” he said.

Jung also stressed the urgency of passing the budget. “This is the first budget of the Lee Jae-myung administration — the priming water for Korea’s recovery and growth,” he said. “Policy and budget effectiveness are all about timing. Even the best-planned budget loses impact if not executed swiftly.”

He added that President Lee had also emphasized the need for timely passage of the budget to accelerate economic recovery. “We will ensure that the first budget of the Lee administration is passed within the legal timeframe so its benefits can be felt by the public,” Jung said.