Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, said on the 24th regarding the proposal by Park Beom-gye, a fellow party member, to amend the law to allow non-lawyers to be appointed as Supreme Court justices that it is "merely a legislative suggestion from an individual member, not the position of the Democratic Party or myself."

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, prepares to refresh himself during the second candidate debate for the 21st presidential election held at the KBS Studio in Yeouido, Seoul on the 23rd. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

After appearing on the K-Initiative TV's "First-Time Voter, Come Forward! Generation Z Ability Assessment" live broadcast on YouTube, the candidate met with reporters and said, "It is rash to give Supreme Court justice qualifications to non-lawyers."

Earlier, on the previous day, Park Beom-gye introduced a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from the current 14 to 30 and allow individuals without lawyer qualifications to also become Supreme Court justices.

In response, the People Power Party said it is "the starting signal of legislative dictatorship under the Lee Jae-myung Democratic Party system," and added that the proposed amendment to the Court Organization Act, which would more than double the number of justices from the current 14 to 30, is a reckless and dangerous act that seeks to fundamentally dismantle the judicial system of South Korea by filling up to 10 of those positions with non-lawyers lacking legal experience.

The introduction of Park's bill comes amid the Democratic Party's recent push for a special investigation and hearing regarding Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and efforts to halt the criminal trial process of the presidential candidate. Observations suggest that the centrist backlash against the "Lee Jae-myung monopoly system" will grow both within and outside the party.

The candidate stated, "It would be good to discuss such matters cautiously. I have instructed the party to exercise restraint this morning," and added, "Right now, overcoming the civil unrest is more important." He also mentioned, "Currently, this is a point where the people are making judgments about the fate of the country, and creating unnecessary disputes is not desirable."