Opposition leader seeks impeachment of embattled Supreme Court justice

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- The leader of South Korea's main opposition party said
Wednesday he will seek to impeach an embattled Supreme Court justice accused of
intervening in trials of anti-government activists.

Supreme Court justice Shin Young-chul was referred to the top court's ethics
committee for sending a series of e-mails last year to junior judges recommending
the trials be dealt with quickly.
The activists had been indicted on charges of illegal protests during last
summer's anti-U.S. beef demonstrations. A judge handling one of their cases
questioned the legitimacy of an existing law banning outdoor rallies after sunset
and brought it to the Constitutional Court for review. The move effectively
caused the postponement of all related cases.
Shin was serving as chief of the Seoul Central District Court when he sent the
messages.
The ethics panel concluded last week that Shin's e-mails and other acts
constituted "misleading and inappropriate" behavior. Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon
issued a warning to Shin but did not ask for his resignation or take disciplinary
measures.
"We have reached a conclusion that we cannot but file a motion to impeach Justice
Shin," Democratic Party Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said at a meeting with the
party's leadership in Seoul.
"The time has come for us to seek the motion together with other parties," the
chairman said, adding that the time frame for Shin's voluntary resignation has
passed.
"I expect other liberal parties to align with our cause, but we also plan to work
together with the conscientious faction within the ruling party," said Chung.
Internal debate and criticism have brewed among rank-and-file judges since the
ethics committee decided not to discipline Shin. They have held meetings and
posted protest letters on the Supreme Court Web site demanding more stern
measures against the justice.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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