Risking impeachment, acting President Han says no to approving Constitutional Court candidates

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Risking impeachment, acting President Han says no to approving Constitutional Court candidates

Published: 26 Dec. 2024, 14:23 Updated: 26 Dec. 2024, 14:29

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Acting President Han Duck-soo arrives at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Dec. 26. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Acting President Han Duck-soo said Thursday that he will decline to approve candidates nominated to the Constitutional Court by the National Assembly.

In a public address, Han called the right to appoint justices “a power unique to the president“ and said he believed he should “refrain from approving the nominations unless there is bipartisan consensus.”

Han noted that “not a single justice has ever been appointed to the court without an agreement between the major parties.”

The liberal Democratic Party, which holds a 170-seat majority in the 300-member National Assembly, has threatened to impeach Han if he does not approve the nominations.

However, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) has opposed the nominations on the grounds that the power to appoint justices rests with the elected president alone.

The DP’s warning appears to have failed to move Han, who said his position was “not important” relative to the need for political consensus.

The acting president said he would hold off on approving the nominations until both major parties came to an agreement regarding the court vacancies.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]