Is Chief Justice Martyr or Crusader?
By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter
Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon is a man of few words. Throughout the ongoing battle with prosecutors, the leader of the judiciary has made a public statement only once. So when he said Wednesday, "I will do my best to protect the autonomy of the judiciary," it sounded like the battle cry of a determined warrior.
Perhaps, he knew that the outcome of this fight would determine his legacy.
It is obvious that he has no room to retreat. Any such move could cause irreparable damage to the judges' inviolable right to conduct a trial and rule solely on the basis of their jurisprudence.
Thus, in all likelihood, Lee is ready to be a martyr in a crusade that cannot be reversed.
But the prosecution is adamant, believing that the ongoing fight is one that it must not lose.
Prosecutor General Kim Joon-gyu convened a plenary meeting of all 1,700 prosecutors through videoconferencing Thursday, telling them to stand together and seek to reverse a series of rulings by what they see as a "liberal" judiciary.
They have a great deal of popular support that can be mobilized at a moment's notice.
Outside the Seoul Central District Court building in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, conservative groups rallied, calling for the resignation of the chief justice.
Also on the prosecutors' side are the "big three" conservative newspapers, which have been fully behind the prosecution starting with the recent not-guilty verdict the court gave to Rep. Kang Ki-gab on charges of obstructing official duty through his violent acts during the National Assembly's ratification of a free trade agreement with the United States last year.
The three papers obviously see the current fight between judges and prosecutors as part of a bigger ideological war that they are waging to turn back the 10 years of liberal rule by two late Presidents ㅡ Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.
The trio were extremely critical of the two administrations. When the conservative government led by President Lee Myung-bak came into office, they welcomed it with open arms. Their coverage about the Lee administration has been quite positive.
Also, the legislature is under the full control of the conservative Grand National Party, with its seats close to a supermajority. A great deal of conservative legislation is being pushed through the National Assembly.
It is in this context that the battle against the judiciary is taking place. Lee was appointed by the late President Roh. He has 20 months left in his six-year term.