Kim Min-seok says impeachment push against Chief Justice Jo will proceed 'as originally planned'

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said Saturday that efforts to impeach Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae would move forward "step by step, as originally planned, including a parliamentary investigation."

Kim made the remarks to reporters after attending a sports event for press photographers at the National Assembly, responding to a question about calls within the party to impeach Jo following the appellate court's acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on political funds law violations.

On the timeline for a parliamentary investigation into Jo, Kim said he understood that "various options are being coordinated within the floor leadership."

On the appellate court's not-guilty ruling in Oh's political funds case, Kim said his comments from Friday "should suffice as my position."

On Friday, immediately after Oh was acquitted at the appellate trial, Kim told reporters the ruling was "difficult to understand legally or by common sense."

Parties in the broader opposition bloc, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, have called for impeaching Chief Justice Jo and dissolving the Court Administration Office in response to Oh's second-instance verdict.

Lee Sung-yoon, a supreme council member aligned with Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Jung Chung-rae, said "the public these days is doubting the willingness of Chief Justice Jo's court to root out the insurrection," and demanded that impeachment proceedings against Jo begin immediately.