DP threatens 'serious decision' if acting President Han refuses to appoint justice

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DP threatens 'serious decision' if acting President Han refuses to appoint justice

Published: 30 Mar. 2025, 16:52

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae, left, urges acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to appoint the ninth Constitutional Court justice during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on March 30.[YONHAP]

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) warned Sunday that it would make a “serious decision” if the reinstated acting president and prime minister, Han Duck-soo, fails to appoint the ninth Constitutional Court justice.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae urged Han, who is also serving as acting president, to appoint Constitutional Court justice nominee Ma Eun-hyeok by Tuesday.

“If Han does not fulfill his constitutional responsibility by Tuesday, the DP will make a serious decision,” Park said, emphasizing that appointing the Constitutional Court justice is a duty of the acting president.

Ma was recommended by the DP.

Park did not specify what action the party would take, saying that the DP "would do everything it could" and that he would elaborate after Han makes his decision by Tuesday.

First-term DP lawmakers last week warned that they would push for Han’s impeachment again if he failed to make the appointment. The National Assembly impeached Han on Dec. 27 and the Constitutional Court ruled last week to reinstate him.

In an emergency statement on Friday, 53 first-term DP lawmakers called on Han to appoint Ma and warned that they would also seek to impeach other Cabinet members if they failed to do so immediately upon assuming the role of acting president.

During a public address on Dec. 26, Han announced that he would postpone appointing Constitutional Court justices until rival parties submitted a bipartisan proposal.

Han stressed it has been customary for an acting president to “refrain from exercising the president’s exclusive authority as much as possible” and that any such action should be taken only with bipartisan agreement in parliament.

The DP passed an impeachment motion against Han the following day. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who served as acting president after Han’s impeachment, approved the appointment of two justices on Dec. 31.

On Sunday, the DP floor leader further suggested proposing a legal revision to extend the terms of Constitutional Court justices amid the pending impeachment ruling against President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The terms of two Constitutional Court justices — acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-son — are set to expire on April 18. If the impeachment ruling is delayed until after their terms end, the nine-member bench would be left with three vacant seats, potentially raising questions about the legitimacy of rulings made by a six-member panel.

People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on March 27. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

In response to the DP’s push for Han’s impeachment — just days after he resumed office on March 24 following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of his impeachment — the ruling People Power Party (PPP) accused the DP of “inciting insurrection.”

“According to Article 91, Clause 2 of the Criminal Act, disrupting the functioning of constitutional government institutions is considered an attempt to subvert the Constitution,” PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong said during a press conference at the National Assembly on Sunday.

Kweon claimed that the DP’s first-term lawmakers were staging a “parliamentary coup” under the influence of DP leader Lee Jae-myung and liberal broadcaster Kim Ou-joon. He added that his party would file a petition against 72 individuals, including Lee and Kim, for allegedly conspiring to incite insurrection.

“Carrying out such a plan constitutes insurrection, and using it to threaten the government amounts to inciting and conspiring to commit insurrection,” Kweon said.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]