South Korean Opposition Demands Resignation of Court Official Over Nomination Interference

South Korean opposition lawmakers are escalating their calls for the resignation of Court Administration chief Noh Kyung-pil, accusing him of orchestrating a "judicial coup." The demand follows Noh's admission that he contacted candidates shortlisted for Supreme Court justice positions. Opposition members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference on Thursday, asserting that Noh, described as Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's "right-hand man," has no right to remain in his post. They allege he improperly reviewed candidates and even made direct calls to them regarding a potential re-nomination process, which they claim is not stipulated by law. "Noh Kyung-pil, who played the role of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's right-hand man and reviewed re-nomination outside the law, calling candidates, is not qualified to be in that position. Court Administration chief Noh Kyung-pil must also resign," stated the lawmakers. Noh had previously acknowledged contacting four candidates selected by the Supreme Court Justice Recommendation Committee the previous week to inquire about their opinions on re-nomination. However, he maintained that he did not instruct them to resign. The controversy centers on suspicions that the Supreme Court intended to dismiss all four recommended candidates and seek new ones, bypassing the established nomination committee process.

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Noh Kyung-pil, who played the role of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's right-hand man and reviewed re-nomination outside the law, calling candidates, is not qualified to be in that position. Court Administration chief Noh Kyung-pil must also resign.