Kim Min-seok Cautious on Cho Hee-dae Impeachment… "People's Livelihoods Come First"

Kim Min-seok, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized a cautious approach to the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, while placing recovery of people's livelihoods at the top priority.

According to political circles on the 28th, Chairman Kim appeared on the Democratic Party's official YouTube broadcast 'Min-ti 07' that day to explain the background of the decision to pursue a state affairs investigation into Chief Justice Cho, which was decided at a general meeting of members the previous day.

Chairman Kim stated, "Regarding the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho, we must consider past impeachment cases, public opinion, and the level of public understanding of the issues," and added, "We need to secure more objective evidence."

In particular, he emphasized that issues surrounding Cho Hee-dae's judiciary have not been sufficiently communicated to the public, and that a process of examining and explaining related suspicions should be conducted first.

The Democratic Party's decision to prioritize a state affairs investigation over impeachment is understood to reflect this judgment. While continuing to raise issues regarding Chief Justice Cho, the party has focused more on confirming facts and persuading the public rather than immediately pursuing impeachment.

Chairman Kim also acknowledged that opinions within the party are not completely aligned.

He stated that members' views "are not all 100% in one direction," explaining that there are members who judge that impeachment conditions are sufficiently met and demand swift action, and members who believe that efforts should focus on people's livelihoods rather than impeachment or state affairs investigations.

However, he noted that no formal major disagreement was raised regarding the plan to pursue a state affairs investigation at the previous day's general meeting, and the party's basic direction is being maintained.

At a general meeting of members on the 27th, the Democratic Party agreed to pursue a state affairs investigation to clarify suspicions related to Chief Justice Cho. The party plans to proceed with relevant procedures with the goal of submitting a state affairs investigation request to the National Assembly plenary session on the 5th of next month.

What Chairman Kim particularly emphasized that day was the issue of people's livelihoods.

He diagnosed that while growth and exports are recovering considerably, polarization and inequality are deepening compared to the past. He stated that focusing on people's livelihoods and preparing measures to activate them in the budget parliament is the party's "first fundamental thinking."

This is interpreted as the party's intention to continue responding to judicial matters while concentrating its capabilities on economic and livelihood issues directly linked to the people's lives.

Meanwhile, in a survey released that day by the Korea Social Opinion Institute (KSOI), 50.3% opposed impeachment of Chief Justice Cho, compared to 32.0% in favor—a 18.3 percentage point difference. The survey was conducted from the 26th to 27th targeting 1,000 people aged 18 and over nationwide using wireless automated response methods, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.