Lee Wan-kyu, the head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, has been nominated as a successor Constitutional Court judge. He entered the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex in Seoul on the 8th. The nomination was made by Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, designating candidates for Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, which the Democratic Party has criticized as “clearly unconstitutional” and plans to respond strongly to this action.
Among the two candidates nominated by Acting President Han, one is Lee Wan-kyu, involved in the controversy for attending a so-called “secret meeting” shortly after the emergency martial law declaration, which could lead to further disputes.
Acting President Han nominated Lee Wan-kyu along with Ham Sang-hoon, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court, as successors to Constitutional Court judges Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun, who are set to retire on the 18th. Additionally, Acting President Han appointed Ma Eun-hyuk, previously nominated by the National Assembly, and Ma Yong-ju, who was confirmed through a Supreme Court Chief Justice nomination and National Assembly approval, to the Supreme Court Justice position.
Democratic Party’s Chief Deputy Floor Leader Park Sung-jun, during a policy meeting at the National Assembly on the same day, condemned Acting President Han’s nomination, calling it an “unconstitutional action.” He declared that nominating Constitutional Court judges recommended by the president is an act that cannot be overlooked and issued a stern warning against it.
Chief Deputy Policy Chief Kim Yong-min also criticized that the acting president’s authority is primarily limited to maintaining the status quo, according to constitutional scholars. He argued that the appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court, an essential constitutional body, is an exclusive presidential right and cannot be assumed by an acting authority.
Kim further emphasized that Han’s nominations themselves are unconstitutional, accusing Han Duck-soo of consistently acting unconstitutionally from the beginning to the end. He reiterated that the Democratic Party would respond forcefully against these actions.
Kim pointed out that Lee Wan-kyu, who was nominated, is suspected by the public of being a direct accomplice to treason, due to his participation in a ‘secret meeting’ shortly after the 12/3 rebellion declaration, thus asserting that nominating such a person clearly indicates that the embers of treason have not yet been extinguished.
Lee, along with Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and then-Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, faced controversy last year for meeting at the presidential safe house on the night of December 4th, after the emergency martial law was lifted. They denied meeting with then-President Yoon Suk-yeol during the gathering. Minister Park explained that as they had all expressed their resignation, it was difficult to arrange another meeting, and it was simply a meeting arranged to see each other before the year ended.