Cho Kuk (pictured), interim leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, pressured Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to step down on September 17, declaring, “We have already prepared a motion to impeach Chief Justice Cho.”

Speaking at a meeting of his party’s special committee titled “Go All the Way” at the National Assembly, Cho said, “Chief Justice Cho has already lost the trust of the people.” He continued, “He must explain himself before the public and apologize. And he should make his own decision about whether to remain in office. If he refuses, then the National Assembly will have no choice but to act.”

In May, about a month before the 22nd presidential election, Chief Justice Cho overturned an appellate ruling and sent back Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation case with instructions to convict. The referral came just nine days after the case had been assigned to the Supreme Court’s full bench. When controversy erupted over alleged interference in the election, the Rebuilding Korea Party held a press conference ten days later to reveal a draft impeachment motion against the chief justice.

At the time, the party argued that the ruling violated Article 7(2) of the Constitution, which requires political neutrality of public officials, and Article 103, which obligates judges to rule according to conscience. However, amid concerns within the party that pushing too hard on the courts so close to the election could backfire, the impeachment motion was never formally submitted.

Cho’s revival of the impeachment proposal appears intended to highlight the Rebuilding Korea Party’s reformist image at a moment when calls for Chief Justice Cho’s resignation are spreading among pro-government circles. It is also seen as a move to consolidate the party’s base while dealing with internal turmoil over sexual misconduct scandals.

“Chief Justice Cho and the court leadership have not issued any statement criticizing former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s coup attempt,” Cho said. “Judicial reform, alongside prosecutorial reform, has now become an irreversible task. This crisis was brought upon themselves by Chief Justice Cho and the judicial elite.”

Cho labeled the case “an unprecedented act of election interference” and demanded a special counsel investigation. “There may be decisive evidence hidden behind this ruling that could show whether the judiciary collaborated in the coup,” he said. “Even before then, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials must thoroughly investigate.” He also called for the creation of an independent watchdog within the judiciary and the relocation of judicial institutions to regions outside the capital.

Lee Kwang-chul, the party’s internal audit chair, said regarding the timing of the impeachment motion, “The question of Chief Justice Cho’s tenure and the debate on judicial reform are both ongoing, so the situation remains fluid. We are closely watching to determine the right moment.”