Assembly defers Supreme Court judge appointment amid nepotism accusations

From left to right, this composite photo shows the nominees for Supreme Court justices: Roh Kyung-pil, a senior judge at the Suwon High Court; Park Young-jae, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court; and Lee Sook-yeon, a judge at the Patent Court. Courtesy of Supreme Court

The National Assembly on Friday postponed the adoption of a report on the confirmation hearing results for one Supreme Court justice nominee, putting the brakes on her appointment amidst growing controversy over allegations of nepotism.

The decision by the parliamentary special committee to delay the confirmation of Lee Sook-yeon, a Patent Court judge, came after allegations surfaced involving her daughter. There are suspicions that her 26-year-old daughter benefited significantly from unlisted stock transactions, reportedly facilitated by what has been termed "father's chance" or nepotism.

For instance, in 2017, her daughter surnamed Cho, purchased 400 shares of an unlisted company for 6 million won ($4,350), with the money provided by her father. She sold these shares back to him in May 2023 for approximately 384.5 million won, realizing a 63-fold profit over six years. Cho reportedly used the proceeds to repay her father for money borrowed to purchase a house in a redevelopment area in Seoul.

In response to the growing criticism, Lee apologized and pledged to donate the unlisted stocks held by her and her daughter.

The committee is expected to further review and decide on the adoption of the report concerning nominee Lee.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary special committee on the confirmation hearing adopted the confirmation reports for Roh Kyung-pil, a senior judge at the Suwon High Court, and Park Young-jae, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court.

The final appointment of the two Supreme Court justices will occur after an appointment ratification vote at the assembly’s plenary session.

For the vote to proceed, at least 150 out of 298 lawmakers must be present. Of those present, a majority -- at least 76 votes -- is required to confirm the nominations of Roh and Park as Supreme Court justices. If approved by the National Assembly, the President will formally appoint them.