Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party of Korea has raised the possibility that Chief Justice Jo Hee-de is positioning himself for a presidential run, as the chief justice clashes with the government over his refusal to resubmit Supreme Court justice nominations requested by President Lee Jae-myung. Park suggested Jo could repeat the path of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who raised his public profile through friction with the Moon Jae-in administration before moving directly to a presidential candidacy.
Appearing on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show" on the 5th, Park was asked about his recent remark that Jo appears to be working to raise his profile in order to run for president. "In my view, that is exactly what I think," he said.
"Just as Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol was drafted as a presidential candidate, aren't the People Power Party short of candidates right now?" Park said. "That is why I think the chief justice is raising his profile to pull off that same stunt," he added, referring to a scenario in which Jo would be drafted as a presidential candidate.
Yoon was appointed prosecutor general under the Moon Jae-in administration but was sidelined after repeated clashes with the presidential office and the then-ruling party, and he used the political recognition he gained in that process to emerge as the People Power Party's presidential contender. Asked whether the People Power Party could court Jo in the same way, Park said it was possible given the lack of a suitable candidate.
Park also called for the swift appointment of Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, describing him as a "qualified" choice despite controversy within the ruling bloc. Noting that the party is sharply divided over the nomination, he said, "I would like us to convene a party caucus, hold an unlimited debate and decide." He added, "There is fatigue from being unable to appoint the agency chief," and said, "We cannot leave the post vacant any longer. There are all sorts of claims about whether the nominee is pro-Yoon or not, so the point is to settle this."
On Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who has been at odds not only with the nominee but also with President Lee, who holds the appointment power, Park said, "Governor Choo has a future only if she succeeds as Gyeonggi governor." He added, "She should be looking for good restaurants in Gyeonggi Province. Just because the Justice Ministry building sits in Gyeonggi Province, in Gwacheon, there is no need to spill over that far." The remark played on an earlier post in which Choo criticized the nomination by saying she had visited a place billed as a good restaurant only to find it a mess.
Park also commented on President Lee's increasing use of social media. "It is direct communication with the public, so I cannot say much about it, but I wish he would hold back a little," he said. "He does it far too much." He added, "A president's words are the language of the presidency, so a single remark cannot be taken back. If he speaks too often, the effect wears off."
