Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, reportedly urged party members, in connection with the death of Cho Hee-dae’s father, to refrain from directly naming or addressing individuals during the funeral period and to show the utmost respect in public remarks. As of the reporting time on August 31, Kim’s visit to the funeral home was reportedly still under consideration.

Key developments

Cho Bu-hwan, the father of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, died on August 30, and the funeral procession was reported to be scheduled for September 1. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik visited the funeral home on August 31 and conveyed President Lee Jae-myung’s condolences.

Although a mood emerged in political circles to refrain from public confrontations during the funeral period, this does not mean that a political agreement has been reached on the issue of renominating a Supreme Court justice candidate.

Current status

The presidential office said on August 28 that although Cho Hee-dae had submitted a written recommendation for Supreme Court justice candidate Son Bong-ki on August 18, it judged the submission to lack sufficient procedural completeness. It therefore did not submit the appointment-consent motion to the National Assembly and requested a new recommendation.

At the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on August 31, the ruling and opposition parties continued to clash over the rejection of Son Bong-ki’s recommendation and the request for a new recommendation, focusing on the constitutional recommendation authority and the separation of powers. Cho Hee-dae did not attend the scheduled question-and-answer session of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee that day, and the meeting was reported not to have been held because of his father’s death.

Impact

The rise in searches for “Kim Min-seok” can be interpreted as the result of the temporary convergence, on the same day, of Kim’s guidance on showing respect, condolences over Cho Hee-dae’s father’s death, and a temporary shift in the response to the dispute over renominating a Supreme Court justice candidate. However, no official confirmation has established a direct causal relationship with the increase in search volume.

The change currently confirmed is that political attacks have temporarily eased during the funeral period. There is no confirmed basis for concluding that differences among the presidential office, the Supreme Court, and the National Assembly over the request for a new recommendation and the original recommendation have been resolved.

Next checkpoint

The next point to monitor is what official positions and procedures Cho Hee-dae and the relevant institutions announce regarding the renominating issue after the funeral procession on September 1. The final decision on a new recommendation and an official position from Cho Hee-dae have not been confirmed.

Source verification

  • Yonhap News, “Kim Min-seok orders ‘respect in public remarks’ over Cho Hee-dae’s father’s death… condolences visit also under consideration,” checked at 13:40:11 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.yna.co.kr/amp/view/AKR20260831083200001
  • Newsis, “Ruling party: ‘Kim Min-seok considering condolences visit for Cho Hee-dae’s father… respect must be shown during funeral period,’” checked at 13:40:11 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260831_0003769304
  • Yonhap News, “Kang Hoon-sik pays respects for Cho Hee-dae’s father… ‘Conveyed the president’s condolences,’” checked at 16:00 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260831118900053
  • Newsis, “[Obituary] Father of Cho Hee-dae, chief justice of the Supreme Court,” checked at 13:40:11 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://mobile.newsis.com/view/NISX20260831_0003768910
  • Office of the President of the Republic of Korea, “Briefing by Senior Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung on the request for a new recommendation of a Supreme Court justice candidate,” checked at 13:40:11 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.president.go.kr/briefings/3yG4CRPk
  • News1, “Ruling and opposition parties clash over Cho Hee-dae at the Budget Committee… ‘provocation of constitutional order’ vs. ‘Lee’s unification of the three branches’ (comprehensive),” checked at 17:00 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.news1.kr/amp/politics/assembly/6275087
  • Chosun Ilbo, “‘A new recommendation must be made from the remaining candidates’: ruling party pressures chief justice,” checked at 13:40:11 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://v.daum.net/v/20260831005439841
  • Kyunghyang Shinmun, “Kang Hoon-sik and Kim Min-seok pay respects for Cho Hee-dae’s father… ‘Conflict over a new recommendation’ temporarily subsides,” checked at 21:02 UTC on August 31, 2026: https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202608312102005