Kim Eui-kyeom discloses Cho Hee-dae's remarks on Supreme Court nomination

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom on the 7th posted on Facebook part of a conversation involving Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo over tea before the previous day's parliamentary audit. According to Kim's account, Cho was asked whether he had another intention regarding the nomination of a Supreme Court justice, and smiled while replying to the effect of asking what he would be trying to do.

At the parliamentary audit on the 6th, Cho used a prepared document to state that the chief justice fulfills all constitutional duties by submitting a nomination. After his remarks ruling out submitting a nomination again, calls for his voluntary resignation emerged within the ruling party.

Citing provisions including Article 104(2) of the Constitution, Cho argued that nomination authority has no separate restrictions or provisions delegating its regulation to legislation. His position is that nomination is an authority vested exclusively in the chief justice, making outside interference itself unconstitutional.

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok criticized Cho's parliamentary audit remarks on the party's YouTube channel, Democratic Party TV. Kim raised resignation, saying in effect that Cho would be better off stepping down if he could not resolve the issue of submitting the nominee again.