The Goddess of Justice, chained and kneeling in the shadow of the National Assembly. Hanmi Daily Graphic

The remarks made by Supreme Court Justice Cheon Dae-yeop (Minister of National Court Administration) at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on the 1st were deeply disappointing. 

Regarding the controversy over the establishment of a special court for insurrection, he offered a principled concern, stating that it "has the potential to infringe upon the independence of the judiciary." However, this is nothing more than a pathetic perception of reality. 

The current reality of the South Korean judiciary has moved beyond the stage where it can be defended by abstract principles alone. The Constitutional Court has already been seized by the Lee Jae-myung regime, and if the plan to increase the number of Supreme Court justices becomes a reality, the Supreme Court will be no different. In a situation where political power is encircling and encroaching upon the judiciary, Justice Cheon’s remarks are merely a fake reality intended to placate the public—a "fake," nothing more.

What is more serious is the blatant intimidation by political circles. 

Representative Jeon Hyun-heui publicly pressured Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon, stating, "If disciplinary action is taken, a special court will not be necessary." For a member of the National Assembly to openly claim they will trade disciplinary action for the legislation of a special court regarding a judge's individual ruling is, in effect, extortion. 

This is political violence that dismantles the separation of powers and a collective threat aimed at the entire judiciary. The judicial independence guaranteed by the Constitution is crumbling in this manner.

The conduct of the Democratic Party is even more explicit. 

If they do not like a decision made by Judge Ji Gwi-yeon's court, they brandish the blade of a "special court" and threaten to constrain the judge with disciplinary action. This is the very definition of abuse of power and interference with the exercise of rights. If political power blocks a judge’s right to preside according to the Constitution and their conscience through pressure, all that remains is a "ruling desired by politics." That is no longer a trial; it is a show and a political drama.

Justice Cheon Dae-yeop’s remarks offered no alternatives to this situation, instead merely reciting empty constitutional clauses. This is either naive incompetence or a calculated "fake" intended to deceive the public. 

Anyone can point out that "a special court has the potential to be unconstitutional." But is it truly believable that a Supreme Court Justice is unaware that political circles are actually orchestrating a scenario where they "force it through, and if the Constitutional Court rules it constitutional, the game is over"? If he is unaware, he is incompetent; if he is aware, he is an accomplice.

The dignity of the judiciary stems from the courage and independence of individual judges. Yet, at this moment, even a Supreme Court Justice is walking on eggshells around politics and ignoring the reality in front of the people. 

The moment political power seizes the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, the foundation of the South Korean judicial system collapses. Representative Jeon Hyun-heui’s intimidatory remarks serve as a "guideline" toward that end. Cheon Dae-yeop's comments at the National Assembly are merely a false depiction of reality meant to reassure the public; in truth, the game is already rigged by political power.

The judiciary cannot protect the people if it cannot protect its own independence. The judiciary must stand up to political intimidation now, before it becomes a political game board that ends once the Constitutional Court provides its stamp of constitutionality. 

We demand that the Supreme Court Justice stop the "fakes" that deceive the people and show the courage to face the truth.

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