Kim Min-seok Cautious on Impeaching Jo Hee-dae...Prioritizing "Livelihood First"

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has emphasized a cautious approach to impeaching Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae while prioritizing recovery of people's livelihoods.

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 national assembly investigation into Chief Justice Jo made at a meeting of party members the previous day.

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

He particularly emphasized that problems surrounding Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo have not been sufficiently conveyed to the public, and a process of examining and explaining related allegations must come first.

The Democratic Party's decision to prioritize a national assembly investigation instead of impeachment is understood to reflect this judgment. The party continues to raise issues regarding Chief Justice Jo, but places more weight on confirming facts and persuading the public rather than pursuing immediate impeachment.

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

He said members' views are "not 100% unanimous," explaining that there are lawmakers who believe impeachment procedures are sufficiently warranted and demand swift action, as well as lawmakers who believe the party should focus on livelihood issues over impeachment or investigations.

However, he noted that no major disagreements were formally raised at the previous day's party member meeting regarding the direction to pursue the national assembly investigation, and the party's basic direction is being maintained.

At a party member meeting on the 27th, the Democratic Party reached consensus on pursuing a national assembly investigation to clarify allegations regarding Chief Justice Jo. The plan is to proceed with related procedures with the goal of reporting the national assembly investigation request to the plenary session on the 5th of next month.

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

He diagnosed that while growth and exports are recovering significantly, polarization and inequality are intensifying compared to the past. He stated that focusing on livelihood issues and preparing measures to activate people's livelihoods in the budget session is the party's "first fundamental thinking."

This is interpreted as a commitment to continuing to respond to judicial issues while concentrating the party's capacity on economic and livelihood issues directly linked to the lives of the people.

Meanwhile, in a survey released that day by the Korea Social Opinion Institute (KSOI), responses opposing the impeachment of Chief Justice Jo stood at 50.3%, which was 18.3 percentage points higher than those in favor at 32.0%. The survey was conducted from the 26th to 27th targeting 1,000 people nationwide aged 18 or older using automated wireless response methods, with a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.