[Profile] Constitutional Court Nominee Oh Youngjun: Accomplished Former Chief Research Judge

Profound Legal Expertise and Balanced, Rational Judgments

On June 26, Oh Youngjun, the newly nominated Constitutional Court Justice, was recognized as a traditional elite judge with over 30 years of judicial experience.

Yonhap News

Born in Daejeon in 1969, nominee Oh graduated from Seoul National University School of Law. After passing the 33rd National Judicial Examination in 1991 and completing the 23rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he began his judicial career at the Seoul Civil District Court. He is acknowledged as a highly capable judge, having served as a Supreme Court Research Judge, Senior Research Judge, and ultimately as the Chief Research Judge, the highest position assisting Supreme Court Justices. He has also held positions as a judge at the Seoul District Court, presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, presiding judge at the Patent Court, and presiding judge at the Seoul High Court.

During his time as a research judge, he was known for his adept legal interpretation across civil, intellectual property, commercial, and criminal law. Within the judiciary, he is also famous for publishing numerous in-depth papers in various fields. He participated in the Civil Case Precedent Research Society and was also reportedly a member of the former Woori Law Research Society.

Nominee Oh is regarded as having profound legal expertise and is known for delivering balanced and rational judgments. Among fellow judges, he is known for his somewhat slow manner of speaking, but during discussions or debates, he is recognized for his clear logic and strong legal voice. Based on his extensive legal knowledge across various fields, there is an expectation that he will help anchor the legal reasoning at the Constitutional Court.

In September 2022, during the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, he was recommended as a final candidate in the first Supreme Court Justice selection, and again made the final candidate pool in June last year. His spouse is Kim Minki, a judge at the Suwon High Court.