On the 24th, Democratic Party of Korea leader Jeong Cheong-rae made clear the intention to push ahead with a hearing on the 30th titled "Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's presidential election interference hearing," responding to opposition parties' criticism calling it the "death of the separation of powers" by saying, "Why all the fuss about the chief justice?" He asked the party's judiciary committee members to "work hard." As criticism arose that Judiciary Committee Chair Chu Mi-ae and others forced through the hearing without prior consultation with the party leadership, he appeared to step in to lend direct support and quell the controversy.
That morning at the party's supreme council meeting, Jeong opened his remarks by introducing a video from four years ago, in 2021, in which People Power Party lawmakers urged then–Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su to step down voluntarily, saying, "That is the bare face of the People Power Party."
He went on to stress, "Since key witnesses including Cho Hee-dae failed to appear at the May hearing, it is nothing new to hold another Cho Hee-dae hearing." Although some within the party are even talking about the "futility of hearings," he signaled the intention to press ahead with the hearing as scheduled.
Jeong then cited cases of constitutional violations by past presidents produced by conservative parties, including former Presidents Rhee Syng-man and Yoon Suk-yeol, and raised his voice, saying, "They were all presidents produced by the People Power Party, your party," and "You should be ashamed—how dare you prattle on about the separation of powers." He added, "The People Power Party and the media talking about the death of the separation of powers over the Cho Hee-dae hearing is a comedy of history."
He said, "The people have ousted presidents for trampling the Constitution, damaging the separation of powers, corruption and irregularities, state capture, and insurrection," raising his voice to ask, "Why all the fuss about the chief justice?" He then said, "I ask Judiciary Committee members, including Chair Chu Mi-ae, to work hard."
He then urged the chief justice to attend the hearing. Jeong said, "The person who truly wrecked the separation of powers is the suspicion that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae—who should be the last bastion of the separation of powers—intervened in the presidential election," adding, "As everyone suspects, the Cho Hee-dae hearing is a self-inflicted wound born of the arrogance and conceit that, with the presidential election just around the corner, one could swap out a presidential candidate." He added, "I ask Chief Justice Cho and other hearing witnesses to appear at the National Assembly and cooperate with the exercise of the legislature's authority. That is the way to practice the spirit of the separation of powers."