Candidate for Chief Justice Lee Gyunyong: "Please Give Me the Opportunity to Serve the Court"

Candidate Lee: "If Judicial Vacancy Prolongs, National Functions May Paralyze"
Promises Swift Resolution of Trial Delays by Disposing Family-Owned 'Unlisted Stocks'

Lee Gyun-yong, the nominee for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, requested the National Assembly to approve his appointment, saying, "Please give me the opportunity to serve the court." The National Assembly will hold a plenary session on the 6th to vote on the appointment approval for Lee.

Lee Gyun-yong, nominee for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is delivering an opening statement at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 19th of last month. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In a statement sent to the press on the 5th, Lee said, "The longer the judicial vacancy lasts, the more we worry about the paralysis of important national functions such as full bench trials, Supreme Court justice nominations, Constitutional Court justice appointments, various judicial administrations, and judicial personnel matters."

Regarding issues raised during the confirmation hearing, he said, "During the hearing process, the public and the members of the (Personnel Hearing Special Committee), who represent the people, pointed out various concerns about my rulings, my national perspective, and my understanding of history," adding, "I humbly accept all the criticisms and comments I have received."

On the omission of unlisted stocks held by his family in his asset declaration, he stated, "I fully acknowledge my oversight and apologize once again," adding, "Although the stocks were not held for the purpose of asset accumulation, as a public official, to dispel even the slightest suspicion regarding integrity and to take responsible action regarding the omission caused by negligence, I will dispose of them in the cleanest and most transparent manner."

Lee also promised to resolve issues such as trial delays promptly. He emphasized, "Currently, the judiciary is in a difficult position where its essential functions are deteriorating, including the loss of trust due to trial delays," and said, "If appointed as Chief Justice, I will devote all my efforts to resolving the trial delay issue as quickly as possible."

He added, "I also promise active institutional improvements to ensure that appeals are conducted thoroughly and swiftly, such as by increasing the number of Supreme Court justices by eight or more."

Lee said, "If appointed as Chief Justice, I will unwaveringly fulfill the solemn mandate of the people and history to protect the independence of trials and the judiciary," and added, "I cautiously hope that my life trajectory as a judge and my various activities will be evaluated comprehensively and holistically."

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