Cho Hee-dae declares presidential and legislative interference in justice nominations unconstitutional

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae asserted that interference by the National Assembly or the President in the nomination of Supreme Court justices is unconstitutional. During a National Assembly audit of the Supreme Court on October 6, Cho emphasized the principle of the separation of powers, stating that the Chief Justice's authority to nominate justices is an exclusive constitutional power.

Cho explained that while past Chief Justices have voluntarily cooperated with the President through consultations to ensure smooth appointments, there is no constitutional basis for such coordination. He argued that the National Assembly cannot demand specific procedures or questioning regarding the nomination process, as doing so violates the constitutional distribution of power and judicial independence.

During the session, Cho addressed accusations of political involvement, describing remarks that he was “acting politically while wearing judicial robes” as “insulting and sad.” He also denied any cooperation with the martial law incident under former President Yoon Suk-yeol, stating he explicitly instructed officials not to provide personnel lists to the martial law command because the act was unconstitutional.