New Constitutional Court justice takes office

A new Constitutional Court justice began her six-year term Wednesday, vowing to make voices for minorities in society.

Lee Seon-ae, formerly affiliated with law firm Hwawoo, was tapped by Supreme Court chief Yang Seung-tae to replace Lee Jung-mi, who completed her term on March 13. 

Lee Seon-ae, a new judge of the Constitutional Court, speaks during a ceremony at the court in Seoul on March 29, 2017, to mark her inauguration. She replaces Lee Jung-mi, who retired on March 13, three days after she presided as the acting chief in the court's decision to uphold a parliamentary impeachment vote against President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap)

Lee, 50, has worked as a lawyer since 2006 after serving as a judge for 12 years from 1992.

"I will continuously agonize over ways to realize the constitutional ideology of human dignity and value," she said during her inauguration ceremony held at the court in Seoul.

"I will not forget the critical ideas I had in my life path as a female legal practitioner and think of what our society would expect of me as a female justice," she added. (Yonhap)