"I Hope the Constitutional Court Will Continue
to Fulfill Its Mission as the Bulwark of Constitutional Order"
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Acting President, appointed Ma Eun-hyuk, a nominee for Constitutional Court Justice, as a Justice of the Constitutional Court on the 8th.
He also nominated Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Legislation Office, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, as successors to Moon Hyung-bae, Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, and Lee Mi-sun, Constitutional Court Justice, whose terms end on the 18th. Ma Yong-joo, a nominee for Supreme Court Justice who has completed the recommendation by the Chief Justice and the consent process of the National Assembly, was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.
Acting President Han stated in a morning address titled "A Message to the People," "Through the addition of Justice Ma and the two others, I hope that the Constitutional Court will continue to fulfill its fundamental mission as the bulwark of the constitutional order without interruption, just as it has done so far."
He said, "After becoming Acting President in December last year, I mentioned that my final duty was to lead the nation’s affairs in crisis in a stable and balanced manner. The appointment of Constitutional Court Justices was one of the issues I pondered most deeply."
He continued, "At that time, I intended to judge all matters according to the Constitution and laws to prevent the already dangerously divided public opinion from worsening further. For matters not yet stipulated by the Constitution and laws, I sought to follow the wise judgments of predecessors by referring to precedents in constitutional history. If even that was not feasible, I earnestly and sincerely appealed to the ruling and opposition parties, representatives of the people, to set aside their differences and make a bold agreement to prevent division in the Republic of Korea."
Acting President Han emphasized, "Now that I have returned to the duties of Acting President, I bear three heavy responsibilities: to operate state affairs on behalf of the President, to find solutions to overcome the wildfire damage and trade war together, and to manage the upcoming presidential election process fairly and transparently."
He also said, "Regarding the appointment of Constitutional Court Justices, which has been a source of many conflicts, I first appointed Ma Yong-joo, a nominee for Supreme Court Justice who has completed the recommendation by the Chief Justice and the consent process of the National Assembly, as a Supreme Court Justice. I appointed Ma Eun-hyuk, a nominee for Constitutional Court Justice, as a Justice of the Constitutional Court in accordance with the Constitutional Court Act and Constitutional Court rulings."
Acting President Han explained, "The decision to nominate successors for Justices whose terms are ending took into account that the impeachment motion against the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs is currently pending in the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee and could be passed at any time in the plenary session, and that the impeachment trial of the National Police Agency Commissioner is still ongoing." He judged that if the Constitutional Court vacancy crisis recurs and decisions are delayed under such circumstances, serious setbacks would be inevitable in managing the presidential election, preparing the essential supplementary budget, and responding to trade issues, and there is a high risk of intensified national division again.
Furthermore, he said, "Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Legislation Office, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, have each built long careers through key positions in the prosecution and judiciary, and are highly respected inside and outside the legal community for their fair and impartial judgments. They are the right candidates to carefully consider the rights of each citizen while making rulings for the entire country."
Acting President Han added, "The decisions I made today are the result of listening to and reflecting on the opinions of numerous people, including ruling and opposition parties, legal experts, journalists, and senior members of society. After legal review, I consulted with my fellow Cabinet members this morning before implementing my decision. I have done my best to make wise decisions solely for the country without personal interest, and I take full responsibility for my decisions."
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