Kim Min-seok Visits Condolence Room for Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s Father, Moving from Consideration to Actual Visit

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the condolence room for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s late father at Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital in North Gyeongsang Province on August 31 and paid his respects for about 10 minutes. The cancellation of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s questioning session and the controversy over the renomination of Supreme Court justice candidates were reported separately on the same day; there is no confirmed evidence that the visit represented a political agreement or resolution of tensions.

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, actually visited the condolence room for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s late father. Earlier reports had described the visit as under consideration or planned, but follow-up reporting confirmed that the condolence visit took place.

Key Change

At approximately 9:17 p.m. on August 31, 2026, Representative Kim Min-seok visited the condolence room at the funeral hall of Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, and paid his respects for about 10 minutes. Reports said that he left the hospital without giving substantive answers to reporters’ questions after the visit.

The status has been updated from a condolence visit under consideration to a confirmed visit.

During the funeral period, Kim reportedly instructed his party to refrain from directly mentioning or addressing Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and to show the utmost respect in its public messages and conduct.

Current Status

Cho Bu-hwan, the father of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, reportedly died on August 30, 2026, at the age of 93. The condolence room was arranged at the funeral hall of Pohang St. Mary’s Hospital in Nam-gu, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. It was reported that the family declined outside visitors, wreaths, and condolence gifts in order to hold a quiet funeral with relatives.

The funeral procession was scheduled for 10 a.m. on September 1, 2026, with the burial site reported to be the family cemetery in Gangdong-myeon, Gyeongju. Kang Hoon-sik, chief of the Presidential Secretariat, also visited the condolence room and conveyed President Lee Jae-myung’s condolences. Reports said that Chief Justice Cho asked him to convey his gratitude.

Impact

The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee decided not to hold the full committee meeting and current-issues questioning session scheduled for August 31 because of the bereavement of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s father.

However, the cancellation of the committee’s questioning session and the controversy over the renomination of Supreme Court justice candidates were separate matters reported on the same day. There is no confirmed evidence that Kim Min-seok’s condolence visit signified a political agreement or official consultation concerning the renomination issue.

Accordingly, the changes currently confirmed are as follows:

Kim Min-seok’s condolence visit has been confirmed as completed, rather than merely planned.
The Democratic Party was instructed to show respect and refrain from remarks during the funeral period.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s full meeting and current-issues questioning session will not be held.
No direct agreement or causal relationship has been confirmed between the condolence visit and the controversy over the renomination of Supreme Court justice candidates.

Next Checkpoint

The next point to monitor is the funeral procession scheduled for 10 a.m. on September 1. Subsequent reports on the committee schedule and the controversy over the renomination of Supreme Court justice candidates should be checked separately from the confirmed condolence visit.