Democratic Party Launches Major Offensive: Vows to Block Lee's Trial, Sets Judiciary Ultimatum for October 12

# Democratic Party Steps Up Legislative Actions Amid Judicial Showdown (Seoul) The Democratic Party of Korea is intensifying its stand against the judiciary, ramping up rhetoric and potential moves as critical legal proceedings against its presidential candidate approach. The party has hinted at the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Cho Hee-dae if the Seoul High Court fails to delay or cancel the retrial verdict of Lee Jae-myung, the party’s presidential candidate, before the March 9 election. The retrial, set for February 15, addresses Lee’s alleged breach of the Public Official Election Act. # February 12 Deadline for Legislative Action With official campaign activities commencing on February 12, the party has established this date as a "deadline," threatening to fully leverage legislative authority if the court does not comply. Park Chan-dae, interim leader and head of the party's central election committee, strongly criticized the judiciary during a press briefing at the National Assembly on February 5. “The forces of judicial collusion, led by remnants of Yoon Suk-yeol’s regime, are conspiring to undermine Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential candidate,” Park said. He promised, “The Democratic Party will utilize all legislative powers to block this judicial coup and suppress the remnants rebelling against state sovereignty.” Echoing this, Yoon Ho-joong, chief coordinator of the party’s election campaign, stated in another briefing, “If the retrial is not postponed by the February 12 deadline, we will use every legislative authority granted by the people to prevent this judicial coup from causing irreparable damage.” # Impeachment Still a Possibility Despite earlier reports suggesting the postponement of impeachment measures, the party clarified that no final decision has been made. Instead, the decision on potential impeachment was left to the party leadership. Park Sung-joon, the party’s deputy floor leader, explained in a radio interview with KBS that it was not about "delaying" but rather "entrusting all possibilities to the leadership for discretion." He stated, “If the Constitutional Court or High Court continues unconstitutional and illegal conduct, impeachment remains a viable option.” # Strategic Considerations Behind Aggressive Stance The Democratic Party’s willingness to explore impeachment highlights its main objective: preventing an adverse judicial verdict against Lee Jae-myung before election day. A conviction resulting in Lee losing his parliamentary seat could severely damage his campaign just weeks ahead of the March 9 election. Additionally, the party believes its aggressive posture may mobilize its core supporters amid increasing political polarization. Former lawmaker Woo Sang-ho highlighted this in a KBS radio interview, noting that “judicial rulings with political overtones may energize Lee’s supporters, bolstering their resolve before the election.” # Public Appeal Amid Rising Criticism To counter potential public backlash, the Democratic Party is pairing its legislative maneuvers with a strategic media campaign. Starting February 7, party lawmakers will hold daily press briefings in front of the Seoul High Court to voice public critiques of what they describe as politically motivated judicial overreach. The Democratic Party’s bold strategy underscores the high stakes of the 2022 presidential election, with both political power and the integrity of institutional checks and balances at risk. juhong@yna.co.kr