[Profile] Kim Sanghwan, Nominee for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Elite Judge with Four Years of Service at the Court

Presidential Office: "The Right Person to Bring Insight to Constitutional Interpretation"

Kim Sanghwan, a former Supreme Court Justice (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 20th class), who has been nominated as both Chief Justice and Justice of the Constitutional Court, is considered a traditional elite judge. He has served as a judge for 30 years and is recognized for his expertise not only in constitutional and legal theory but also in practical trial procedures.

Kim was born in 1966 in Daejeon and graduated from Bomun High School in Daejeon and the Department of Law at Seoul National University. He passed the bar exam in 1988. After completing the 20th class at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he began his judicial career in 1994 as a judge at the Busan District Court, and subsequently served as a judge at the Ulsan Branch of the Busan District Court, the Uijeongbu Branch of the Seoul District Court, and the Seobu Branch of the Seoul District Court.

He was dispatched to the Constitutional Court twice, working there for a total of four years, and also served as a research judge at the Supreme Court for two years. Afterward, he served as the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, and was later promoted to presiding judge at the Seoul High Court and chief presiding judge of Civil Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Court. In 2018, he was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice and, after serving as Chief of the National Court Administration for about three years starting in 2021, he is currently a distinguished professor at the Jeju National University Law School.

Among his major rulings, in 2015, he presided over the appellate trial of the National Intelligence Service's internet comment interference case in the presidential election, finding that the comment activities constituted political involvement and electioneering by public officials. He sentenced former NIS Director Won Seihoon to three years in prison and ordered his immediate detention in court.

In 2016, he also ruled against the government in an appellate case where the Lee Myungbak administration sought damages from civic groups that organized protests against the import of American beef.

On this day, Kang Hunsik, Chief Presidential Secretary, stated that Kim is "the right person who will add insight to constitutional interpretation based on his deep understanding of our society." He added, "This appointment is the new government's first step toward restoring the Constitutional Court," and explained, "It aims to end the destabilization that had reached a dangerous level at the Constitutional Court and to further enhance public trust and independence in constitutional adjudication."

▲ Born January 27, 1966 ▲ Bomun High School in Daejeon ▲ Department of Law, Seoul National University ▲ Judge, Busan District Court ▲ Judge, Ulsan Branch of Busan District Court ▲ Judge, Uijeongbu Branch of Seoul District Court ▲ Judge, Seoul High Court ▲ Dispatched to the Constitutional Court ▲ Research Judge, Supreme Court ▲ Chief Presiding Judge, Jeju District Court ▲ Presiding Judge, Suwon District Court ▲ Presiding Judge, Seoul Central District Court ▲ Presiding Judge, Changwon Panel of Busan High Court ▲ Presiding Judge, Seoul High Court ▲ Chief Presiding Judge of Civil Division 1, Seoul Central District Court ▲ Supreme Court Justice ▲ Chief of National Court Administration ▲ Distinguished Professor, Jeju National University Law School.