Commissioners from the pro-ruling bloc on The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 16th directed a message at Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, saying they would "hold the chief justice accountable for dereliction of duty for delaying trials of those charged with insurrection and the state capture scandal."
On this day, Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo, who chairs the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the Innovation Party, and The Progressive Party issued a statement, noting that "the Supreme Court has referred to the full bench the cases of Han Duck-soo and Lee Sang-min, who participated in or abetted the illegal emergency martial law, and defendant Kim Keon-hee, who committed the state capture crime," and stated accordingly.
The pro-ruling bloc members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee explained that "the clause in the special prosecutor act requiring a ruling within three months at the final appellate stage contains the public mandate to minimize national confusion and promptly restore the rule of law."
They then told Chief Justice Jo to "clearly present to the public and the National Assembly the specific full-bench hearing dates and the final ruling timetable for those charged with insurrection and the state capture scandal."
They added, "There is broad public concern that defendants will be released due to delays in Supreme Court proceedings," and demanded that the court "clearly promise a final appellate ruling before the release deadlines."
They criticized, saying, "Chief Justice Jo has neglected for months the constitutional duty to nominate Supreme Court justices," and "the judiciary's dereliction in leaving Supreme Court seats vacant shows there is no longer even a claim to the independence of the judiciary."
They also demanded, "The nomination of Supreme Court justices is not the chief justice's right but a constitutional duty," and "if you do not wish to be ashamed before the people, nominate the justices even now."
They said, "The 'responsibility' (dereliction of duty) of Chief Justice Jo will lead to the first impeachment of a chief justice in Korea's history and punishment for the crime of distorting the law," adding, "Public patience has reached its limit. Further-reaching judicial reform is the only answer."