Left-leaning politicians on Friday vowed renewed efforts to overhaul the judicial branch following a high court's acquittal of Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon of his charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
"This ruling is difficult to accept, both from a legal perspective and from common sense," Rep. Kim Min-seok, chair of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, told reporters.
"I believe it has fueled significant public suspicion (toward the judicial branch). It is deeply concerning that this should not have been a politically motivated ruling."
The ruling party and minor liberal opposition have been pressuring the judicial branch, led by Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, over a number of issues including Supreme Court justice nomination, and the Supreme Court's decision to send back a court decision involving President Lee Jae Myung a month ahead of last year's presidential election.
Jo has been accused of leading a "judicial coup" by members and supporters of the Democratic Party and its allies.
Rep. Park Sung-joon, senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party, said the ruling would reignite the push for judicial reform, but did not elaborate on what actions it was planning for the judicial reform.
"The public will no longer tolerate a judicial branch that turns a blind eye to justice. If the judiciary cannot set itself right, the people will do so through judicial reform. The Democratic Party of Korea will stand with the public and complete the reform unperturbed."
Park, however, downplayed the possibility that Friday's ruling would immediately lead to a move to impeach Jo.
"I do not believe there is a need to draw a direct correlation (between Friday's ruling and Jo's impeachment)," Park said, adding the party would decide on its next step after reexamining the court ruling.
Cho Kuk, founder and former chair of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, said Friday's ruling was evidence of a move to counter the attack on the courts.
"A counterattack by a politicized judiciary, something we warned about repeatedly, is underway," Cho said on his Facebook.
"This is the result of failing to sternly carry out judicial reforms, by abolishing the National Court Administration and impeaching Jo."
The Rebuilding Korea Party unveiled a motion to impeach Jo earlier this week, and asked the Democratic Party to support it, as an impeachment motion requires at least 100 sponsors at the National Assembly.
Rep. Shin Chang-sik, chair of the Rebuilding Korea Party, claimed that the judicial branch under Jo has been largely lenient in sentencing conservative figures, including those involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's illegal martial law declaration in 2024.
"There is no guarantee that more rulings favorable to insurrectionist forces won’t follow," Shin told reporters.
He urged the liberal bloc to waste no time to impeach Jo and dissolve the NCA, adding it is the only way to allow fairness to take root in South Korea.
"Now is the most appropriate time to impeach Jo," Shin said.
The main opposition People Power Party welcomed the not guilty verdict on Oh, who is a PPP member.
Citing President Lee's remarks that prosecutors bring charges against innocent people and keep on appealing to avoid responsibility, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the People Power Party, urged the special counsel that brought charges against Oh not to appeal to the top court.
Rep. Park Choong-kwon, senior spokesperson of the People Power Party, called the ruling "a big relief," slamming the special counsel for disrupting Seoul's governance.
"The special counsel should regret having destabilized the administration of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and having caused anxiety among citizens through an overreaching prosecution," Park said.
"It is a big relief that Oh ... can now continue his administration without further disruption."
Right-wing political heavyweight Hong Joon-pyo said on his Facebook Friday hailed the decision as one that "resisted external pressure."
"I hope that our politics will no longer be determined by the judiciary," Hong said.
An observer said the ruling would provide Oh with a momentum to emerge as the new face of a center-right bloc, which would be "an unfavorable development" to the Democratic Party that was struggling to woo centrist voters.
"Many of the centrists who showed support for the Lee administration riding on the 'New Lee Jae Myung movement' have recently withdrawn their support and become undecided voters," political commentator Lee Jong-hoon told The Korea Herald.
"Now, as these center-right voters shift toward Oh Se-hoon, the potential for his influence to grow and expand has increased significantly. For the Democratic Party, this is a major, unfavorable development."
consnow@heraldcorp.com