Constitutional Court Justice Kim Hyeong-du Inaugurated: "Commitment to Protecting the Rights of the Vulnerable and Realizing Freedom and Equality"

Kim Hyung-doo, a Constitutional Court justice appointed as the successor to former Constitutional Court justice Lee Sun-ae, has begun his six-year term.

Constitutional Court Justice Kim Hyung-doo [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 31st, the Constitutional Court held an inauguration ceremony for Justice Kim at the main auditorium of the courthouse, attended by Chief Justice Yoo Nam-seok, other justices, and Constitutional Court staff.

In his inaugural address, Justice Kim pledged, "I will always contemplate how the ideals of the Constitution should be concretized without losing sight of the flow of changes in our society and public consciousness."

He continued, "In a democratic society governed by the principle of majority rule, I will devote myself to protecting the human rights of minorities and the vulnerable, realizing substantive freedom and equality, and building a society where the constitutional order is respected."

He also added, "I will view cases from the perspective of the people and always maintain an open attitude to listen to the voices of the parties involved and the public. I will be a Constitutional Court justice who, not through books and documents, but by sharing the actual difficulties experienced by parties due to restrictions on fundamental rights."

Furthermore, he stated, "I will not be hasty in solving Constitutional Court issues and will consider the impact of the Court’s decisions on future generations. Above all, I promise to judge independently according to my conscience solely based on the Constitution and laws, with an objective and fair stance that is neither on one side nor the other."

Justice Kim graduated from the 19th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 1990 and was appointed as a judge in 1993. Since then, he has handled various trials at courts across the country. Beyond judicial duties, he has experience in judicial administration, including roles such as examiner and chief judge at the Court Administration Office, senior research fellow, senior presiding judge, and deputy chief of the Court Administration Office.

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