The Constitutional Court on Wednesday chose Justice Lee Jung-mi as its acting chief to lead the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye.
Lee, 54, took over after Chief Justice Park Han-chul retired a day earlier. Lee has served the longest among the remaining eight justices, with her six-year term set to expire on March 13.
Before retirement, former chief Park called for a decision on the president's impeachment before March 13 to prevent a "distorted" ruling caused by an additional vacancy on the bench.