Chairman Woo Won-sik, Official Document Disclosure... "Ruling and Opposition Parties Already Agreed on Constitutional Court Judge Nominee"

"Maeunhyuk Must Be Appointed"

Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik stated on the 2nd that the selection of the three candidates for Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly was based on a bipartisan agreement, and urged Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, to also appoint candidate Ma Eun-hyeok.

On the same day, Speaker Woo revealed on Facebook official documents from the National Assembly Secretariat showing that the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea had respectively recommended candidates Jo Han-chang, Jeong Gye-seon, and Ma Eun-hyeok as candidates for Constitutional Court justices on December 9 of last year.

Official document sent to the National Assembly Secretariat. Screenshot of Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly's Facebook page.

Speaker Woo said, "After the Constitutional Court sent a notice on August 13 last year informing that the terms of justices Lee Jong-seok, Lee Young-jin, and Kim Ki-young would expire on October 17, the National Assembly received the notice and on August 16 sent copies of the document to the floor leaders of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party." He added, "On December 9, the People Power Party sent a letter to the Speaker recommending candidate Jo Han-chang, and the Democratic Party sent a letter recommending candidates Ma Eun-hyeok and Jeong Gye-seon."

Speaker Woo also conveyed that the floor leaders of both parties stated on November 19 last year that they had agreed on recommending three candidates for Constitutional Court justices.

Speaker Woo said, "At the time, People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said, 'Yesterday, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to complete the recommendation of three Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly by the 22nd (of November),' and Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae also said, 'The ruling and opposition parties will complete the recommendation of the three candidates by the 22nd and will strive to have them appointed by the regular session of the National Assembly.'" Speaker Woo argued that these statements also serve as evidence supporting that a bipartisan agreement was reached.