^{Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Cho Hee-de (left) and Democratic Party of Korea Leader Lee Jae-myung [Photo=Yonhap News]}We are witnessing an unprecedented situation where the newly inaugurated leader of the ruling party refers to the head of the judiciary, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as "Mr. Cho Hee-de," pressures him to resign as if he were a subordinate, and engages in unbridled personal attacks and ridicule, calling him an "absurd Chief Justice." 

While this may be karma brought upon by a judiciary that lacked conviction, this act of tyranny, treating the judiciary as a mere political errand boy by weaponizing legislative power, is the most shameful and barbaric political suppression in constitutional history.

The lessons of history are precise and solemn. The moment the independence of the judiciary collapses and it is reduced to a handmaiden of power, that nation inevitably heads straight toward totalitarianism and dictatorship. The liberal democracy and constitutional values that form the foundation of the Republic of Korea are currently at risk due to the ruling party's legislative tyranny, which threatens judicial independence and the separation of powers. 

Forces that have already seized the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the media are now engaging in reckless acts of inciting collective action against the head of the judiciary and its judges. This is a clear destruction of the constitutional order that explicitly denies the principle of the separation of powers mandated by the Constitution and dismantles the order of a liberal democratic state governed by the rule of law.

The so-called "Judicial Three Laws" pushed by the ruling party and the proposed "law on distorting the law" to break the convictions of judges are nothing more than a ruinous assault on the foundations of our 80-year judicial system, intended solely to provide a "bulletproof" shield for a specific politician. 

We solemnly warn that all anti-state attempts to turn the judiciary into a tool for political strife must cease immediately, and we urge the following:

First, Chief Justice Cho Hee-de must restore the independence of the judiciary by safeguarding his constitutional authority.

The ruling party leader recently made an ignorant remark, displaying a lack of understanding of the principle of separation of powers, by claiming that "no Supreme Court Justice criticized the December 3rd martial law." The courts are institutions that impartially conduct trials based on legal principles regarding indicted cases; they are by no means a subservient political group that artificially expresses political positions on specific political events or issues. 

We strongly condemn the ruling party leader's unfair political offensive against the judiciary as an utterly preposterous act that drags the judiciary into the vortex of political strife and destroys the foundations of the separation of powers and the Constitution.

The authority to nominate candidates for Supreme Court Justice is an inherent power granted to the head of the judiciary by the Constitution. Denouncing this as "constitutional destruction" simply because it does not suit the tastes of political circles and engaging in insulting behavior toward the Chief Justice is merely a scheme to force the judiciary into a state of political subjugation. 

Chief Justice Cho Hee-de must not yield to any unfair political offensive and must defend the independence of the judiciary solely in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

Second, the Chief Justice must consider establishing a 'Special Court for Election Fraud' to eradicate election rigging.

Elections are the flower of liberal democracy, and the fairness and transparency of elections are the cornerstone of public trust. However, the June 3 election fraud has shaken and destroyed the rule of law and the constitutional order. The Supreme Court must actively consider the establishment of a 'Special Court for Election Fraud' with independent authority to eradicate such fraud and restore the identity and trust of liberal democracy. 

This is a judicial duty that goes beyond mere institutional improvement to protect the foundations of liberal democracy through righteous rulings. The current structural contradiction, where judges also serve as chairs of election commissions, makes the judiciary an interested party rather than an impartial overseer. This structure has allowed the election commission and the judiciary to collude in numerous election lawsuits since the April 15 general election to commit the crime of covering up election fraud itself. The mockery of the Supreme Court Justices appears to be part of the intimidation tactics by those who are aware of the fatal crimes committed by the election commission and the judiciary. 

Therefore, once the 'National Special Prosecutor for Election Fraud' is fully established, the Supreme Court's plenary bench should review and implement the establishment of a 'Special Court for Election Fraud' to promptly process search and seizure warrants and evidence preservation applications related to election fraud, and to issue fair rulings based on independent authority. 

The Special Court must serve as the final bastion protecting liberal democracy, fundamentally eradicating the crime of election fraud that threatens the constitutional order through fair judgments. It must fulfill its mission with divine dedication to root out the insurrectionist crime of election fraud that has destroyed the constitutional order. 

Third, trials related to Lee Jae-myung must be resumed immediately for the realization of judicial justice.

Equality before the law is the cornerstone of liberal democracy, and no one can stand above the law. Attempts to use the privileges granted by the Republic of Korea's Constitution as a "bulletproof shield" to evade the judgment of the law can no longer be tolerated. The clock of the stalled trials must now be set in motion again to rectify the collapsed rule of law and immediately correct fair judicial justice.

The judiciary must move solely toward the truth, guided only by the Constitution, the law, and conscience. Justice delayed is not justice. To protect its own independence and authority, the judiciary must immediately resume the trials related to Lee Jae-myung and demonstrate that there can be no exceptions before the law by convicting and holding him accountable for his criminal allegations. 

We urge the Cho Hee-de judiciary to stop being swayed by political circles, and to promptly and strictly resume the delayed trial on election law violations and other trials related to the various judicial risks involving Lee Jae-myung, thereby practicing the truth that all are equal before the law.

The judiciary must no longer allow the forces that aim to destroy the separation of powers—who seek to reign above the Constitution by hiding behind formal customs and the people—to continue their destruction of the judiciary. Judicial independence is the lifeline of liberal democracy. We hope that Chief Justice Cho Hee-de will look only to the Constitution and the people to establish the justice of the rule of law.

August 24, 2026

Members of the Seobeokka Yuksa Patriotic Veterans Association