Deepening Progressive Tone in Supreme Court... Justice Lee Heung-gu Pledges "To Approach with the Attitude of Shangshan Yangshui"

This Supreme Court Justice: "A Mindset Needed to Accept Any Claim Without Prejudice"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Lee Heung-gu, the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, took office on the 8th and began official duties. With his addition, analysts say the progressive leaning of the Supreme Court's full bench has strengthened.

On the morning of his inauguration day, Justice Lee visited the National Seoul National Cemetery before heading to the Supreme Court. In his inaugural speech, he stated, "I will keep in mind that the protection of citizens' human rights is the most important constitutional value and ensure that the weak and minorities are not marginalized." Justice Lee is a former activist from Seoul National University and is also the first judge who passed the judicial examination among those convicted under the National Security Act. He added, "Since the power and authority of the judiciary come from the trust of the people, I will humbly acknowledge the causes of distrust and show a future-oriented image, moving away from the past."

With Justice Lee's appointment, the number of Supreme Court Justices appointed by the current administration has increased to 11. Out of the total 14 justices, only three?Justices Park Sang-ok, Lee Ki-taek, and Kim Jae-hyung?were appointed by the previous administration. Their terms expire in May next year, September next year, and September the year after next, respectively.

Among the justices, those affiliated with the progressive-leaning group within the judiciary known as 'Uri Beop Yeonguhoe' (Our Law Research Association) now number four, including Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo and Justices Noh Jeong-hee and Park Jeong-hwa, following Justice Lee's inauguration. Adding Justices Kim Sang-hwan, from the successor group International Human Rights Law Research Association, and Kim Seon-su, from the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, the total number of justices from progressive-leaning organizations reaches six.

There is keen interest in how this composition will influence future full bench rulings.

Notably, after the parliamentary confirmation hearing, Justice Lee reportedly conveyed his stance on political bias through some lawmakers' offices. He stated, "The conviction for violating the National Security Act occurred over 34 years ago, and I find it difficult to define an individual's political or ideological orientation based solely on this case." He argued that categorizing judges as progressive or conservative is not particularly meaningful.

Regarding the establishment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit, which has sparked sharp disagreements between ruling and opposition parties, he commented, "Since it was newly established to independently investigate crimes by high-ranking officials and enhance the credibility of the public service, follow-up measures that align with the legal intent must be implemented carefully and precisely."

On the so-called 'Goo Ha-ra Law,' which strips inheritance rights from parents who fail to fulfill their support obligations, Justice Lee approached the issue cautiously. He said, "I fully sympathize with the view that it may be against the sense of justice and public sentiment for someone who has not fulfilled their support obligations to inherit property," but also noted, "There are aspects that do not align with the current inheritance system's purpose, and there is concern that inheritance disputes may become frequent, so it is necessary to establish this area through regulations and procedures."

Justice Lee also expressed his resolve to approach trials flexibly by referencing the phrase 'Sangseon Yaksu' from Laozi's Tao Te Ching. He emphasized, "Since every citizen is a person realizing their unique personality, anyone should be able to freely present their arguments in court," and added, "Judges also need to have an attitude of seriously and impartially considering any argument presented by the parties involved."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.