SEOUL: Acting President Choi Sang-mok has appointed two new justices to South Korea's Constitutional Court, reflecting the ongoing political struggle between the country's major parties. The appointments come amid heightened tensions following the impeachment of Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo by the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the newly appointed justices are Jung Gye-seon, nominated by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, and Cho Han-chang, nominated by the ruling People Power Party. However, the appointment of a third nominee, Ma Eun-hyeok, was deferred due to disagreements between the rival parties. The ruling party maintains that one of the three nominees should be a consensus candidate, while the opposition party insists on its right to nominate two justices due to its parliamentary majority.
The appointments have temporarily resolved the Constitutional Court's operational impasse caused by having only six justices. This move allows the court to proceed with the trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. The court now has eight justices, enabling it to hear impeachment cases, as a minimum of seven justices is required to do so under law. The court will need at least six justices to uphold any impeachment decision, meaning President Yoon needs three or more justices to dissent to remain in office.
As the court prepares to handle Yoon's impeachment, it faces a significant deadline on April 18, when two justices are set to retire. The political dynamics make it challenging for an acting president to appoint their replacements. This urgency may accelerate the court's handling of the impeachment case, while political parties continue to vie for influence over the court's decisions.
The Democratic Party's efforts to appoint three justices appear driven by its leader Lee Jae-myung's desire for a swift impeachment ruling that could trigger an early presidential election before his own legal issues are resolved. Meanwhile, President Yoon and the ruling party are likely to seek delays in the impeachment proceedings until after the Supreme Court's decision on Lee's case.
Public rallies for and against Yoon's impeachment are expected to persist as the court deliberates. These demonstrations will likely be leveraged by political parties to sway public opinion and the court's eventual decision. The court is urged to remain steadfast, focusing solely on evidence and legal principles, while political factions are encouraged to cease their conflicts over justice appointments and observe the court's process impartially.