Kim Min-seok targets chief justice over court appointments, vows judicial reform

Newly elected Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok took direct aim at Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae on Wednesday, saying the party would now turn its focus to judicial reform after largely completing its push for prosecutorial reform. "We will use Chief Justice Jo's judicial manipulation as the occasion to begin judicial reform," Kim said.

Kim made the remarks at the party's first public field supreme council meeting since his election, held in Busan. "There should be no chief justice like Jo Hee-dae standing before the sovereignty of the people," he said. "Either step down immediately or apologize."

The sharp reaction came after Jo had delayed nominating a successor to former Supreme Court Justice Noh Tae-ak, who retired in March, only to submit the written nomination immediately after the Democratic Party's national convention concluded Monday.

"He has been acting unlawfully for months, selectively delaying the appointment of a Supreme Court justice," Kim said. "The moment impeachment was raised as a principled option, Chief Justice Jo responded with this legally evasive move that once again violates the spirit of the law." Kim added that Jo could no longer be called chief justice, dismissing him as "director of a legal-technicalities institute."

Kim also directed his criticism at the broader judiciary. "I call on the justices of the Supreme Court of Korea: issue a statement saying Chief Justice Jo was wrong," he said. "Without that judgment, how can anyone trust the Korean judiciary? And how could we not reform such a judiciary?"

Floor leader Han Byung-do was equally pointed. "Chief Justice Jo sat on the Supreme Court vacancy for more than half a year, then bypassed President Lee Jae Myung — who holds the appointment authority — and unilaterally notified the Legislation and Judiciary Committee by written submission the day before its plenary session," Han said. "The Democratic Party will hold him fully accountable on behalf of the people at the committee's plenary session. The National Assembly will never be a mere rubber stamp."

Political observers said Kim's decision to put judicial reform front and center — despite having been cautious about pursuing Jo's impeachment during the Aug. 17 party convention — appeared designed to consolidate support among the party's more activist base.

By seizing on Jo's nomination move, Kim appeared to be using the controversy as a rallying point to reunite a support base fractured by the intense leadership race. Even so, Kim stopped short of calling for impeachment proceedings on Wednesday, limiting his demands to an apology and resignation from Jo and the judiciary.

Kim also used the meeting to frame his mandate. "The Kim Min-seok leadership was the first chosen under the one-member, one-vote principle of member sovereignty, and we set out with the overwhelming support of rights-holding members and delegates — the very core of that sovereignty," he said. "The members chose us for a path of pragmatic, people-first expansion." The remarks were widely read as an effort to reinforce his leadership credentials after he failed to secure a majority in the first round of voting and won only after a preferential ballot count.

Kim also declared that his leadership would have "no factions." The statement appeared aimed at dispelling concerns that factional tensions could surface openly after lawmakers Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon and Han Min-soo — all seen as aligned with former leader Jung Chung-rae — won seats on the supreme council. Kim added that supreme council meetings would in principle be open to the public, and warned that anyone who leaked matters designated as closed, "regardless of rank, will be removed from the meeting."

"Personnel decisions will be made transparently and on merit," Kim said. On Tuesday, he appointed four-term lawmaker Han Jeong-ae as the new secretary-general and three-term lawmaker Kwon Chil-seung as policy committee chair. Han previously served as environment minister under President Moon Jae-in and most recently held the policy committee chair post under former party leader Jung Chung-rae. Kwon served as minister of SMEs and startups under Moon and later as chief spokesperson when President Lee Jae Myung led the party.

Lawmaker Kim Nam-jun, who served as Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson and entered the Assembly through a by-election, was named party public relations committee chair. Three-term lawmaker Shin Jeong-hun was appointed chair of the Good Local Government Committee and is expected to lead a major development project for the Honam region. Han Ung-hyeon, a former public relations committee chair, was named head of the Democratic Party TV task force, while former lawmakers Jo Gye-won, Lee Yong-woo and Shin Hyeon-yeong were appointed party spokespersons.

Kim visited Busan just two days after traveling to a flood-damaged area in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, immediately after his election Monday. In Busan, he met with Mayor Jeon Jae-soo and announced plans to form a special committee to support the 2028 World Ocean Summit. Kim then traveled to Bongha Village in Gimhae to pay his respects at the tomb of former President Roh Moo-hyun, before calling on former first lady Kwon Yang-suk. He then headed to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan to visit former President Moon Jae-in.