PPP calls summoning Chief Justice 'intimidation of constitutional institution'

South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has fiercely condemned the ruling Democratic Party's decision to summon the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as a witness. The PPP labeled the move an "intimidation of a constitutional institution" and demanded an immediate cessation of what they termed a "pre-impeachment hearing."

Park Seong-hoon, the PPP's senior spokesperson, stated that the Democratic Party's move to summon the Chief Justice to a parliamentary hearing is an attempt to "disgrace and control" the head of the judiciary. The summons is reportedly related to the Chief Justice's role in recommending candidates for Supreme Court justices.

The PPP argues that the Chief Justice is constitutionally mandated to recommend judicial candidates. They view the summons as an unacceptable overreach by the legislature into the independence of the judiciary, asserting that such actions undermine the separation of powers.