Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, the head of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), criticized the presidential office and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) move over the controversial nomination process for Supreme Court justices Monday during his meeting with new DPK leader Kim Min-seok. The barbed comments were unusual for Kim's courtesy call, their first time meeting since Kim was elected on Aug. 17. During the meeting, Jang brought up the controversy over Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae sending a written recommendation for two justice nominees to President Lee Jae Myung, rather than the usual practice of the chief justice scheduling a face-to-face meeting with the president to make the recommendations. Cho's deviation from precedent led to criticism by the ruling bloc and Cheong Wa Dae. Jang told Kim that the issue was about "judicial independence." The PPP has claimed Lee and the ruling bloc were trying to intervene in the judiciary by nominating figures close to them. Referring to a previous incident from the mid-2000s, Jang said, “Former President Roh Moo-hyun ac