South Korea's rival parties on Tuesday expressed frustration over acting President Choi Sang-mok's selective approval of two out of three candidate justices to fill vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court that is set to deliberate President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial.
This came as Choi, who assumed the role of acting president upon former acting President Han Duck-soo's impeachment Friday, expressed his intention to approve Jeong Gye-seon, who leads the Seoul Western District Court; and Cho Han-chang, attorney at South Korean law firm Doul, at a Cabinet meeting held in Seoul. Choi said he would decline to approve the nomination of Ma Eun-hyuk, a senior judge at the Seoul Western District Court.
Choi's approval of two of the three candidates nominated by the National Assembly satisfied none of the major parties, with the opposition demanding he approve the full slate of nominees, and the ruling party demanding he reject all of them.
The ruling People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong told reporters immediately after Choi's announcement that Choi "succumbed to impeachment threats at the expense of constitutional principles."
Kweon added that Choi's decision to approve the two justice nominees violates constitutional principles, given that both candidates were nominated by the National Assembly, the same body that impeached President Yoon on Dec. 14.
Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, also told reporters that the selective appointment of two justices out of three candidates should be deemed unconstitutional. Speaking after the party convened a meeting of lawmakers following Choi's announcement, Park called for Choi to approve all three candidates, including Ma.
The party's floor spokesperson Rep. Yoon Jong-kun also said Choi's selective approval of justices "could be grounds for impeachment," but added that the party was not considering taking immediate action.
The remarks came as two nominees -- Jeong, recommended by the main opposition; and Cho recommended by the ruling party -- garnered presidential approval on Tuesday.
Choi said his approval of Ma -- another candidate recommended by the main opposition party -- would require a bipartisan compromise.
National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik also expressed disapproval of Choi's decision, saying Choi's invocation of bipartisan compromise in the matter "delayed the normalization of the Constitutional Court and violated the National Assembly's rights." Woo added he would take "necessary actions" in response to Choi's decision, without elaborating on what those actions might entail.
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