Presidential Office "Unprecedented Long Judicial Vacancy... Deeply Regrettable" (Comprehensive)

Rejection of Lee Gyunyong's Appointment Bill Draws Opposition Criticism of Presidential Office
Presidential Office "Will Do Its Best to Find a Suitable Candidate"

The Presidential Office criticized the opposition party on the 6th for the rejection of the appointment consent bill for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Lee Gyun-yong, stating, "The victims are the people, and it is a political struggle holding the rights of the people hostage." This statement was made following the rejection of the appointment consent bill for the Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly that afternoon.

Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, made these remarks during a meeting with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office shortly after the appointment consent bill for the Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee failed to pass the National Assembly, led by the major opposition party.

In particular, Spokesperson Lee said, "It is deeply regrettable that the opposition party's unilateral opposition led to the rejection of a competent and capable judge, causing an unprecedented long-term vacancy in the judiciary."

The National Assembly held a plenary session at 2 p.m. on the 6th and put the appointment consent bill for candidate Lee to a vote, resulting in 118 votes in favor, 175 votes against, and 2 abstentions out of 295 members present, thereby rejecting the bill.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The National Assembly held a plenary session at 2 p.m. that day and put the appointment consent bill for nominee Lee to a vote, resulting in 118 votes in favor, 175 against, and 2 abstentions out of 295 members present, thus rejecting the bill. This rejection was the result of the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party with 168 seats and the Justice Party with 6 seats, uniting. This is the first time in 35 years since the rejection of the appointment consent bill for Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee Jeong Gi-seung in 1988.

In response to a reporter's question about the nomination of a new Supreme Court Chief Justice candidate, a Presidential Office official said, "Given the current situation, we will do our best to find a suitable candidate to fill the judicial vacancy and minimize inconvenience to the public." When asked if there had been efforts to find the next candidate in advance, the official replied, "It would not be appropriate to say that we tried to find a new candidate before the vote," adding, "Our process was to find the best candidate, request appointment consent from the National Assembly, and wait for the outcome."

The official also stated, "Even during those 35 years, there were many confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties, and in some cases, it could be described as extreme confrontation," adding, "However, even in such situations, there was never a long-term vacancy in the head of the judiciary. There was a political and public consensus that, regardless of political disputes, the judiciary should not be left vacant to prevent delays in trials that harm the people. This rejection breaks that consensus," criticizing the situation.

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