“In the name of justice, democracy must not be violated.”

 

“In the name of justice, democracy must not be violated.”   Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae (age 67),  the current head of South Korea’s judiciary,  stands accused of obstructing democratic progress through the following actions:   •  Conspiring to subvert constitutional order (attempted judicial coup). •  Systematic deprivation of citizens’ voting rights. •  Restricting the activities of special prosecutors investigating rebellion. •  Opposing legislation for courts dedicated to cleansing anti-democratic acts. •  Refusing to expand the number of Supreme Court justices, thereby stalling reform.   These are not mere administrative decisions—they constitute a direct violation of Article 1 of the Korean Constitution, which declares: 📌 According to the Court Organization Act (Article 45),  ordinary judges retire at age 65,  while the Chief Justice and Supreme Court Justices are granted an exception until age 70. But  judicial independence must not be weaponized to entrench power or obstruct democratic accountability. Therefore,  the National Assembly must exercise its legislative authority  to lower the Chief Justice’s retirement age to 65,  aligning it with that of ordinary judges. This is not a personal attack— it is a constitutional correction to restore democratic oversight over judicial power. Adjusting the retirement age is  the first step in dismantling judicial rebellion.    Silence from the legislature risks complicity.