Court Nominee Standoff Pauses After Chief Justice's Father Dies

A standoff between the ruling bloc and the Supreme Court, set off by the presidential office's demand that a Supreme Court justice nominee be renominated, has paused after the death of Chief Justice Cho Hee-de's father. The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee canceled a planned emergency session on the matter, and figures in the ruling bloc have refrained from attacks. But the Supreme Court has not backed away from its position that the chief justice's power to nominate justices must be respected, leaving a strong chance the two sides will clash again.

Noh Kyung-pil, head of the National Court Administration, was asked at a budget subcommittee review of non-economic ministries at the National Assembly on the 31st whether the president must passively request the National Assembly's confirmation once the chief justice nominates a justice. "Each side's authority must be respected," Noh said. The remark reaffirmed the court's existing stance that the chief justice's nomination power, along with the president's appointment power, must be respected.

The presidential office struck a different note. Jeon Seong-hwan, senior presidential secretary for public engagement and integration, responded to related questions at the same budget subcommittee review, saying the chief justice's nomination power does not bind the president's appointment power. The gap between the Supreme Court and the presidential office remains unbridged.

Still, political attacks have subsided for now following the death of the chief justice's father. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee canceled an emergency session it had planned to hold on the controversy over the written nomination of a Supreme Court justice. "We have decided not to hold the session because of the death of Chief Justice Cho's father," committee chair Seo Young-kyo said in a notice. "We offer our sincere condolences to the deceased and our deepest sympathies to the bereaved family."

Officials from the presidential office and the ruling party visited the funeral hall one after another, avoiding comment on the issue. Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, said after paying respects that he had conveyed that the president had sent his chief of staff because he could not come in person. Asked whether the renomination controversy came up, Kang was reticent, saying it seemed right to say only this much for the day.

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also visited the funeral hall to console Cho and the bereaved family. Kim asked party lawmakers to show the utmost courtesy in their words and conduct during the funeral period, including refraining from naming the chief justice directly. Democratic Party lawmakers including committee chair Seo Young-kyo, Kim Ki-pyo and Kim Nam-hee also paid their respects.

The political sparring has paused, but the source of the conflict over the justice nomination remains intact. Cho plans to state his formal position after reviewing the presidential office's demands for the renomination of a justice candidate and the reconstitution of the nomination recommendation committee. Observers say a clash between the presidential office and ruling bloc on one side and the judiciary on the other could intensify again if the Supreme Court holds to its position that its nomination power must be respected.