Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae refused the presidential office's request to reappoint a Supreme Court justice, intensifying the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Party of Korea criticized Chief Justice Cho as a "political figure," while the People Power Party countered that the Democratic Party was trying to intimidate the judiciary. The Democratic Party argued that Chief Justice Cho was engaging in politics by wearing judicial robes, citing his swift handling of the Lee Jae-myung candidate case in the past. In contrast, the People Power Party criticized the attacks on Chief Justice Cho for refusing the president's reappointment request as an attempt to undermine the separation of powers and urged a halt to intimidation of the judiciary.
