Oh Youngjun Says Supreme Court’s Speed in Lee Remand Was Unusual... Yoon’s Detention Cancellation Differs from Standard Practice

"Former President Yoon's Detention Cancellation
Should Have Followed Basic Principles"

Oh Youngjun (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 23rd class), nominee for Constitutional Court Justice, stated on July 18 that he found the Supreme Court’s process of remanding President Lee Jaemyung’s Public Official Election Act case “somewhat unusual.”

During a National Assembly confirmation hearing held that day, Oh responded to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Gipyo, who asked what he thought about the unusually swift remand of President Lee’s case, by saying as much.

In response to Kim’s further question?whether the Supreme Court’s full bench had ever acted so quickly in the past?Oh said, “During my time as a research judge, there was never such a swift decision on a full bench case.”

Regarding the panel handling President Lee’s case, which indefinitely postponed the trial based on Article 84 of the Constitution (stipulating presidential immunity), People Power Party lawmaker Cho Baesook asked if the court had yielded to political pressure. Oh replied, “I believe the court made its decision after careful consideration in its own way.”

Oh also commented on the process by which Judge Ji Guyon’s panel at the Seoul Central District Court decided to cancel former President Yoon’s detention, saying it differed from standard practice and implied that the decision did not adhere to basic principles.

When Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Youngkyo asked, “Do you think it was correct to calculate the detention period by hours instead of days and to include the time for warrant review in the calculation, resulting in the cancellation of detention?” Oh responded, “There are aspects that differ from general practice.”

He added, “Fundamentally, I believe that when deciding important cases, basic principles must be thoroughly reviewed before reaching a conclusion.” When asked if this meant Judge Ji Guyon’s panel did not follow principles, he answered, “It seems closer to that interpretation.”

Regarding concerns about bias due to his spouse’s past membership in the Wooribeop Research Society and her judicial record, Oh said, “There has never been a case where my rulings were influenced by my spouse,” and added, “I understand that my spouse also made rulings independently and according to her conscience, in line with the panel’s consensus.”