Woo Won-sik: "Han Deok-su Should Withdraw Constitutional Court Justice Appointment... Will Not Accept Personnel Hearing Request"

Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik on the 8th demanded the withdrawal of the appointment of constitutional court justices by Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo. Speaker Woo declared, "We will not accept the request for a confirmation hearing itself."

In a statement released that day, Speaker Woo said regarding Acting President Han's nomination of Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Ministry of Government Legislation, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, as constitutional court justices, "Apologize first and withdraw the nominations."

He stated, "The authority to form constitutional institutions through the appointment of constitutional court justices is an exclusive power of the president," adding, "In the special situation of a presidential vacancy, it is unacceptable for the acting president to attempt to exercise the exclusive authority granted to the president directly elected by the people."

Earlier, Acting President Han introduced the reasons for nominating the two constitutional court justice candidates during a Cabinet meeting address to the public. At that time, he said, "The decision to nominate successors to justices whose terms have ended took into account the fact that the impeachment motion against the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs could be passed at any time in the plenary session of the National Assembly and is currently pending in the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, as well as the ongoing impeachment trial of the National Police Agency Commissioner."

Speaker Woo Won-shik is delivering a national address at the National Assembly on April 4, 2025, following the Constitutional Court's dismissal of former President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Regarding this, Speaker Woo criticized, "Acting President Han has so far refused appointments, ignoring decisions of the Constitutional Court concerning constitutional court justices elected by the National Assembly and Supreme Court justices recommended by the Chief Justice," and added, "He has not requested the permanent special prosecutor recommended by the National Assembly, disregarded both the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court, and failed to fulfill constitutional duties and legal responsibilities. Is he now trying to exercise authority that was never granted to him?"

He continued, "The exercise of authority by an acting president, who holds a temporary position without democratic legitimacy, should be kept to a minimum," and criticized, "(This) is what the acting president himself has claimed by refusing to appoint constitutional court justices. The nomination of constitutional court justices, which is the president’s prerogative, is contradictory."

Speaker Woo demanded, "Withdraw the nominations," and said, "The National Assembly will not accept requests for confirmation hearings. We will take all possible measures within the National Assembly’s power."