The Democratic Party of Korea temporarily suspended its decision to pursue the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on the 5th and urged that the first trial date of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate, regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act, scheduled for the 15th, be postponed until after the presidential election.
The Democratic Party noted that such measures should be taken before the start of the election campaign on the 12th, indicating that if this demand is not accepted, it could take extraordinary measures, including the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
Deputy Minister Yoon Ho-jung held a press conference at the National Assembly that day, stating, "I hope that all trial dates for candidates scheduled during the election period will be changed to after the presidential election, prior to the candidate registration completion and the start of the election campaign on the 12th."
The registration period for presidential candidates set by the National Election Commission is from the 10th to the 11th. From the 12th, the official election campaign period lasts until the day before the presidential election on the 2nd of the following month.
In response to a question about whether impeachment of the Chief Justice or Justices could occur if there is no postponement by the 12th, Deputy Minister Yoon explained, "If there is no postponement by the 12th, I will mobilize all the powers granted to the legislature by the people to prevent this judicial coup from proceeding."
Deputy Minister Yoon particularly pointed out that the Seoul High Court scheduling the first trial date of the retrial during the election campaign period on the 15th is an infringement on the voting rights of the people.
Deputy Minister Yoon stated, "The judiciary under Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae will reportedly summon the election candidates for trials five times before the election on June 3," claiming, "This goes beyond election interference and amounts to effective election obstruction by the judiciary."
He added, "This destroys the constitution and hinders the exercise of popular sovereignty, so the legislature will punish it on behalf of the people."
Deputy Minister Yoon mentioned, "According to Article 11 of the Public Official Election Act, candidates for the presidential election shall not be arrested or detained unless they are caught in the act, except for those who have committed crimes punishable by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for more than seven years, and this declares that no administrative or judicial power can infringe upon the constitutional rights of the sovereign people."