Opposition Party Vows "Strong Response" to Han Deok-su's Successor Appointment as Constitutional Court Justice

Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party: "The embers of the rebellion have not been extinguished"
Criticism of Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Ministry of Legislation, intensifies... "Possible accomplice in the rebellion"
Yoon Jong-gun, Floor Spokesperson: "Han Duck-soo is inducing his own impeachment"

Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo's nomination of Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Ministry of Legislation, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, as successors to the Constitutional Court Justices has prompted the Democratic Party of Korea to declare a strong response, stating that "the embers of the rebellion have not been extinguished."

Yonhap News

At the Democratic Party's floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on the 8th, Kim Yong-min, the party's Deputy Floor Policy Leader, announced a "strong response" immediately after Acting President Han's announcement of the nominations for the Constitutional Court Justices' successors. He pointed out, "The appointment of Constitutional Court Justices is the president's authority and cannot be delegated," adding, "The acting president's nomination itself is unconstitutional."

Earlier, Acting President Han stated, "I have nominated the Director of the Ministry of Legislation and Chief Judge Ham as successors to Moon Hyung-bae, the Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, whose term ends in ten days, and Justice Lee Mi-sun." He also appointed Ma Eun-hyuk, a Constitutional Court Justice candidate elected by the National Assembly.

Deputy Floor Leader Kim said, "The authority given to the president is because the president is democratically legitimate and elected by the people," and added, "Most constitutional scholars express that the president's authority belongs solely to that person." He continued, "When the president is in a reserved situation, the acting president should only exercise the minimum necessary authority to maintain the status quo, and should not exercise full authority, which is the consensus among constitutional scholars."

In particular, Deputy Floor Leader Kim raised the possibility of Director Lee's complicity in the rebellion. "Director Lee is highly likely to have attended the meeting at the presidential residence immediately after the rebellion to discuss how to legally evaluate and define the rebellion situation," he said, adding, "He is very likely a direct accomplice to the rebellion."

He also emphasized, "Around the time martial law was declared, Director Lee sent his family abroad and stayed behind, attending the meeting at the presidential residence the day after the failure of martial law," stressing, "The nomination of someone whom the public suspects of very bad criminal conduct clearly proves that the embers of the rebellion have not yet been extinguished."

Park Sung-jun, Deputy Floor Leader, also stated regarding the nomination of the two Constitutional Court Justices' successors, "From the Democratic Party's standpoint, this is an issue that cannot be overlooked," and warned, "We sternly caution that this is an unconstitutional act."

After the floor strategy meeting, Yoon Jong-gun, the party's floor spokesperson, told reporters, "It is regrettable that Acting President Han seems to be inducing his own impeachment," and added, "The appointment of controversial figures itself is an act of violating the constitution."