The Democratic Party of Korea pushed back strongly after Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae made remarks to the effect that "King Sejong did not use the law as a governing tool to strengthen royal authority." They said it was an inappropriate comment from the head of the judiciary who made the decision to cancel the detention of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and release him.
Park Su-hyeon, Democratic Party Spokesperson, met with reporters after the supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on the 22nd and said, "I don't feel it is worth evaluating," but also shot back, "As the head of the court that detained, canceled, and released the ringleader of the rebellion, Yoon Suk-yeol, those are not words to say." He went on to note, "Even if it was a scheduled event and a script written by aides, I wonder how his conscience churned when reading such words."
On this day, at the opening of the "2025 Sejong International Conference" held at a hotel in Seoul, Chief Justice Cho said, "King Sejong did not treat the law as a tool to strengthen royal authority, but made it a normative foundation to improve the quality of life of the people and guarantee their rights," adding, "King Sejong's judicial philosophy is deeply aligned with the values of the judiciary we should pursue, transcending time." In political circles, this was interpreted as a message responding to the recent push by the Democratic Party to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and calls for Chief Justice Cho to step down.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to handle a government organization act revision centered on dismantling the Prosecutors' Office at a plenary session on the 25th. It is reviewing designating 11 contentious bills, including the act to establish the Financial Supervisory Commission, as fast-track (expedited agenda) items if cooperation from other opposition parties falls through.
The People Power Party plans to counter with a filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate). On this, Floor Spokesperson Kim Hyeon-jeong said, "Up to six items could be subject, including the Government Organization Act, the act to establish the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee, the National Assembly Act revision, the rule to adjust the number of standing committees in the National Assembly, the National Assembly increase-and-decrease act, and the National Assembly Archives Act."