PPP floor leader urges acting president to reject DP's justice nominee

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PPP floor leader urges acting president to reject DP's justice nominee

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI


People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Feb. 2. [YONHAP]

People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Feb. 2. [YONHAP]

 
People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Kweon Seong-dong on Sunday urged acting President Choi Sang-mok to reject the appointment of a Constitutional Court justice recommended by the liberal Democratic Party (DP). 
 
Kweon’s remarks came ahead of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Monday on whether Choi’s decision to withhold justice nominee Ma Eun-hyeok’s appointment was constitutional. On Dec. 31, Choi withheld a decision on Ma while green-lighting the appointment of two other justices due to a “lack of bipartisan consensus.”
 

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“Even if the Constitutional Court rules against his action, Choi should veto Ma’s appointment,” Kweon said during a news conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.
 
The PPP floor leader stressed that under the Constitution, the final authority to appoint Constitutional Court justices rests with the president, who also has the right to withhold or veto appointments.
 
“The opposition party or the Constitutional Court cannot force the acting president to make an appointment,” he added, noting that such an action overrides the Constitution.
 
The Constitutional Court formed an eight-member bench on Jan. 2 after Choi appointed two justices, reaching the seven-member quorum required for deliberation. 
 
On Jan. 3, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik filed a competence dispute case to the Constitutional Court of Korea, arguing that Choi's refusal to appoint Ma constituted an “infringement of the National Assembly’s authority.” 
 
Acting President Choi Sang-mok speaks during a meeting at the government complex in central Seoul on Jan. 31. [MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok speaks during a meeting at the government complex in central Seoul on Jan. 31. [MINISTRY OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE]

 
Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal defense team criticized sitting Constitutional Court justices for their alleged political affiliations and called on certain justices to recuse themselves from his impeachment trial.
 
“The Constitutional Court must ensure fairness in its deliberations, with acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Justices Jeong Gye-seon and Lee Mi-son, who have raised serious concerns over fairness, voluntarily stepping aside from the impeachment trial,” Yoon’s legal team wrote in a statement Saturday.
 
The attorneys filed a petition with the Constitutional Court the same day, arguing that the justices should recuse themselves from the hearings.
 
Yoon’s legal team cited Moon’s past engagement with DP leader Lee Jae-myung on social media, claiming his online activity with DP lawmakers and posts indicated political bias — an issue previously raised by the PPP. They also pointed out that Justice Lee’s younger sister is a member of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, a progressive legal group also known as Minbyun, and serves as deputy chief of a committee advocating for Yoon’s resignation. Additionally, they noted that Justice Jeong’s husband has signed a petition calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
 
On Saturday, the DP denounced what it called the conservative party’s attempt to “shake the Constitutional Court,” warning that such “demagogic politics based on conspiracy” would only push the country into a national crisis.
 
Constitutional Court justices preside over President Yoon Suk Yeol's fourth impeachment trial hearing in the court's main chamber in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 23. [CONSTITUTIONAL COURT]

Constitutional Court justices preside over President Yoon Suk Yeol's fourth impeachment trial hearing in the court's main chamber in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 23. [CONSTITUTIONAL COURT]

 
The Constitutional Court has previously expressed concerns over political interference in Yoon’s impeachment trial, stressing that justices must have “objective reasons” to recuse.
 
“The key issue in the presidential impeachment trial is whether the respondent’s actions violated the Constitution or the law and whether such violations are severe,” the court's spokesperson, Cheon Jae-hyun, said during a regular briefing on Friday, adding, “Rulings are made through an objective legal process and are not influenced by the personal inclinations of the justices.”
 
On Jan. 15, the court rejected a request from Yoon’s legal team seeking Justice Jeong’s recusal over concerns about her past involvement in a progressive judges’ association.
 
As Yoon prepares for his upcoming criminal trial on allegations of masterminding his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, his attorneys are forming a civilian legal defense team.
 
Yoon’s lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon announced on Saturday that a defense team composed of ordinary citizens and young people is slated to launch in mid-February. On Saturday afternoon, Yoon's attorneys held a preparatory meeting including many attendees in their 20s and 30s, apparently to recruit members of the public to the civilian team meant to defend the president.
 
Yoon’s impeachment trial hearings are set to take place twice a week, starting Tuesday and continuing through Feb. 13. His criminal trial is expected to begin as early as mid-February at the Seoul Central District Court.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]
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