As Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok held their first meeting since Kim took office, Jang, referring to Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's recommendation of Supreme Court justice nominees, said he wanted to see "Roh Moo-hyun's decision," citing the former president's acceptance of a chief justice's request in the past.
At the first meeting between the ruling and opposition party leaders on the morning of the 24th, Jang said, "Setting aside party lines, the National Assembly has a function to check the executive branch," and, while raising the issue of Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's recommendation of Supreme Court justice candidates to Kim, brought up the case of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Jang said, "When the chief justice recommended Kim Yong-dam as a Supreme Court justice, the Blue House expressed dissatisfaction," adding, "But from the conviction that judicial independence must be upheld, that it is the foundation of the rule of law, and the basis for safeguarding democracy, former President Roh accepted the chief justice's recommendation and appointed him."
He then said, "There may be procedural issues, and there may be different interpretations of the procedure, but what is more important than procedure is the rule of law," adding, "As ruling party leader, I expect you to play a role on the public's side on this matter."
Supreme Court justice nominees are typically recommended after review by the Supreme Court Justice Candidate Recommendation Committee, followed by prior consultation and an in-person meeting with the president, but Chief Justice Jo recently recommended candidates in writing without an in-person consultation, prompting questions about procedural legitimacy. Jang's remarks are seen as urging the Democratic Party to cooperate in a bipartisan manner on the appointments of Supreme Court justice nominees Kim Sung-soo and Son Bong-gi.
In response, Kim emphasized the need for ruling–opposition cooperation with Jang but struck a cautious tone regarding the recommendation of Supreme Court justices.
Kim said, "I want to build an unbroken bridge of dialogue with Jang Dong-hyeok," adding, "If there is someone who must not let go of the thread of dialogue until the very end as long as politics continues in Korea, it is Jang."
However, regarding Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's recommendation mentioned by Jang, he said, "It was a request for a political decision, and it seems there are procedural issues (such as the recommendation)," adding, "We will take this fully into account." He also said, "(Roh's case was) more than 20 years ago, and in the current situation, we are approaching this not as a unilateral decision by one side but from the perspective that the entire judiciary needs to return to normal."