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Constitutional Court suspends acting President Han Duck-soo's justice nominations

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 18:50

Acting president Han Duck-soo speaks at an event at Kia's plant in Gwangju on April 15. [YONHAP]

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday unanimously suspended the authority of acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's constitutional justice nominations, effectively blocking his recent appointment.

The injunction, granted unanimously by the court, was filed by lawyer Kim Jeong-hwan of the law firm Dodam on the same day.

On April 8, Han nominated Lee Wan-kyu, head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, and Ham Sang-hoon, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court, to replace Constitutional Court justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun.

The court’s decision now suspends all proceedings related to those nominations — including the submission of confirmation requests to the National Assembly and the appointment itself — until a verdict is delivered on the constitutional complaint filed by Kim.

A spokesperson for Han's office said the government would “respect the Constitutional Court's decision” and “wait the final ruling on the main case” in a statement Wednesday following the court's ruling.

The suspension will remain in effect until the Constitutional Court rules on whether Han’s exercise of appointment authority violates the Constitution. The court explicitly prohibited Han from taking any further steps in the nomination process, such as requesting confirmation hearings or issuing appointment orders.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]