South Korea unveils draft motion to impeach Supreme Court chief — Korea Herald

In South Korea, the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea party on October 19 unveiled a draft motion to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea began gathering the views of its lawmakers on a possible impeachment, Korea Herald reports.

Arguments of the initiators

Rebuilding Korea called on the Democratic Party of Korea to join in submitting the motion, describing the actions of the judicial branch as a “judicial coup” against President Lee Jae-myung. In the draft, the party claims that Cho Hee-dae did not maintain political neutrality when the Supreme Court in 2025 issued a ruling that was effectively unfavorable to Lee in a case concerning his statements about alleged irregularities in land development projects in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

The party also said that the Supreme Court chief violated the right to a public hearing by refusing to accept the presidential administration’s request to change his recommendation for a new Supreme Court justice. Other claims in the draft include the alleged improper use of public funds by the Supreme Court.

Rebuilding Korea leader Shin Chang-sik said that parliament must stop what his party calls a “judicial coup.” He also dismissed suggestions that the initiative could trigger a negative reaction among moderate voters.

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Position of the ruling party

The Democratic Party of Korea has not yet announced support for the motion. Its spokesperson, Cho Gye-won, said that the party is gathering lawmakers’ positions and intends to focus on Cho Hee-dae’s alleged illegal actions and his, according to the party, disregard for the legislative and executive branches. Party leader Kim Min-seok previously said that it is considering all available options and discussing grounds for the resignation of the head of the judiciary.

This is already the second time Rebuilding Korea has prepared such a draft, but no formal motion has yet been submitted. To initiate it, support is needed from at least one-third of the 300 members of parliament, while the party holds 12 seats. If parliament supports impeachment by a majority vote with more than half of lawmakers present, Cho Hee-dae will be immediately suspended from his duties pending a decision by the Constitutional Court.

The People Power Party said that attempts to secure an impeachment are aimed at establishing control over the judicial branch.