Passed with 264 votes, rejected with 18 votes, abstained with 10 votes
Supreme Court Chief Justice vacancy persists for 75 days
The nomination consent bill for Cho Hee-dae as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court passed the National Assembly on the 8th.
On the same day, the ruling and opposition parties held a plenary session and put the nomination consent bill to a vote, resulting in approval with 264 votes in favor, 18 against, and 10 abstentions out of a total of 292 votes.
This comes 75 days after the resignation of former Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su on September 24 and the rejection of the nomination consent bill for former Chief Justice candidate Lee Gyun-yong in the National Assembly plenary session, which caused a vacancy in the Chief Justice position.
On the morning of the same day, the National Assembly's Special Committee on Personnel Hearings held a full meeting and approved the review report on the nomination consent bill for Cho Hee-dae as Chief Justice.
The report stated, "The candidate had almost no issues raised regarding personal integrity, which are commonly seen in high-ranking public office candidates, expressed a strong commitment to judicial independence and political neutrality, and is believed to have made efforts to deliver rulings that faithfully protect labor rights and socially vulnerable and minority groups." It also included, "Considering comprehensively that the candidate has a vision and concrete plans for judicial reform, including resolving issues such as trial delays and excessive issuance of warrants, it is judged that he can smoothly perform the duties as Chief Justice."
Cho Hee-dae, nominee for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is delivering an opening statement at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Born in 1957, the new Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is from Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and graduated from Daegu Gyeongbuk High School and Seoul National University School of Law. He passed the 23rd Judicial Examination in 1981 and began his judicial career as a judge at the Seoul Criminal District Court in 1986. He served as a judge at the Seoul High Court and was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in March 2014 upon the recommendation of then-Chief Justice Yang Seung-tae during the Park Geun-hye administration. After retiring as a Supreme Court Justice in March 2020, he has been serving as a distinguished professor at Sungkyunkwan University School of Law.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
