[POLL] Judicial risks, clash with opposition pose huge hurdles for new president

Continued clashes with opposition parties and ongoing legal trials involving President Lee Jae-myung are viewed as the two biggest political challenges confronting his administration, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Korea Times. The nationwide survey, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, found that 34 percent of respondents cited conflict with opposition parties as the most significant political obstacle facing the new administration. Another 28 percent pointed to the judicial risks stemming from the five criminal trials currently involving the president. The poll, which surveyed 1,000 adults, also found that 20 percent of respondents expressed concerns about the potential weakening of institutional checks and balances that uphold the separation of powers. With Lee’s ruling party now controlling both the executive branch and a majority in the legislature, some worry that proposed judicial reforms — including a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and potential efforts to delay Lee’s trials during his presidency — could undermine judicial independenc

Read Full Article