2026.10.27. The Fair Economy — The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to push ahead with a parliamentary investigation into allegations surrounding Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae, vowing to uncover the truth. The investigation will look into controversies over political interference, allegations of abuse of power, and the circumstances surrounding the delayed nomination of Supreme Court justices and the refusal to resubmit nominations. It will also examine his refusal to take an oath during the parliamentary audit, as well as allegations regarding the use of operational expenses and cash bonuses.
The DP decided to conduct the parliamentary investigation during a general meeting of its lawmakers held at the National Assembly on the 27th.
Jeon Eun-su, the DP's deputy floor spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting that there was consensus on the need for a parliamentary investigation.
The issues to be examined in the investigation include those raised by Han Byeong-do, the DP's floor leader, during a morning meeting on the parliamentary audit. The floor leader pointed out that Chief Justice Cho refused to take an oath during the audit, thereby avoiding perjury liability, and used the audit session as a platform to defend himself. He also stressed that allegations surrounding the use of operational expenses and cash bonuses must be clarified to satisfy the public.
The investigation is also expected to cover allegations of political interference by the head of the judiciary, abuse of power, and whether he fulfilled his duty to uphold the Constitution during the martial law crisis. The prolonged delay in nominating Supreme Court justices, the refusal to resubmit nominations, and responsibility for resolving the judicial vacuum were also mentioned as subjects.
On the same afternoon, a hearing was scheduled at the Supreme Court to decide on an additional arrest warrant for Kim Geon-hui, who is accused of brokering favors. With the acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hun in the second trial of the case involving Myung Tae-gyun's alleged payment of poll costs, and the possibility of Kim's release as her detention period expires at the end of this month, a mood favoring the parliamentary investigation has formed within the DP.
The main opposition People Power Party protested. Rep. Park Hyeong-su, a PPP member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said at a meeting on strategy for the audit, "They are citing lower court rulings the chief justice had no role in to argue for impeachment," calling it "an attempt to force political responsibility onto the outcome of trials." PPP spokesperson Cho Yong-sul said in a statement that the Democratic Party "should clear up the Shincheonji Church of Jesus allegations before launching a special inquiry into the chief justice."
The conflict between the presidential office and the Supreme Court over the selection of Supreme Court justices is cited as a reason for the DP's push for the parliamentary investigation. The Supreme Court Justices Recommendation Committee recommended four candidates on January 21 to succeed former Justice Roh Tae-ak. Chief Justice Cho, unable to find common ground with the presidential office, broke with convention on August 18 and nominated Son Bong-gi, a presiding judge at the Daegu District Court, in writing. The presidential office requested a resubmission on August 28, but Cho refused on September 22.
On October 6, during the audit of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Chief Justice Cho refused to take an oath, saying, "Requiring testimony on the nomination of Supreme Court justices risks undermining the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence." Seo Yeong-gyo, the committee chair, warned that if there is no justifiable reason, follow-up measures could be taken under Articles 12 and 15 of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly. Article 3 of the same act stipulates that a person may refuse to take an oath or testify if there are grounds for refusing testimony under the Criminal Procedure Act, leaving a legal dispute.
The allegations regarding operational expenses and bonuses emerged during an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection. On August 31, the board disclosed that the National Court Administration had paid a total of 1.299 billion won (about $940,000) in monthly cash bonuses to Supreme Court justices and others since 2022, in violation of budget execution guidelines. The Rebuildingkorea Party filed a complaint against Chief Justice Cho with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on October 13, and the civic group Candlelight Action filed a complaint with the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency on the 16th. The Anti-corruption & Civil Rights Commission has also launched an investigation. However, since the commission has only announced its intention to investigate, no illegality or impropriety has been confirmed.
Before choosing a parliamentary investigation over impeachment, there was caution within the DP. Lawmaker Park Beom-gye, for instance, proposed in a party chat room, "Let's discuss impeachment procedures after confirming all the allegations." There were also opinions questioning whether it was necessary to push for the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho, whose term runs until June next year.
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