National Assembly Approves Nomination of Kim Sanghwan as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court with 206 Votes in Favor, 49 Against

Ruling and Opposition Parties Reach Agreement
on Confirmation Hearing Report the Previous Day

The confirmation motion for Kim Sanghwan, nominee for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (age 59, 20th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), passed the National Assembly plenary session on July 23 with bipartisan agreement.

At the plenary session held that day, the National Assembly approved the nomination of Kim, who was nominated by President Lee Jaemyung, with 206 votes in favor, 49 against, and 9 abstentions out of 264 members present.

The Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the President only if a majority of all National Assembly members are present and a majority of those present vote in favor. Previously, President Lee nominated Kim as the next Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court on June 26.

The previous day, the National Assembly Special Committee on Personnel Hearings convened and adopted the report on the results of Kim's confirmation hearing with bipartisan agreement.

Lee Jaejung, chair of the National Assembly Special Committee on Personnel Hearings, stated at the plenary session, "(As a result of the vetting process, the nominee) has emphasized the importance of guaranteeing constitutional basic rights during his tenure as a judge and has delivered rulings that substantively protect the vulnerable. Taking these points into consideration, we assess that he is fully qualified and competent to serve as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court."

However, the confirmation hearing report also included dissenting opinions regarding Kim's eligibility, citing capital gains from the purchase of a reconstruction apartment, concerns over political bias at the Constitutional Court due to concentration in a specific research group, and the personnel connection to a past acquittal in a presidential election law case.

Kim Sanghwan, nominee for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, is answering questions at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on July 21, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Kim will begin his six-year term as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court following his appointment by President Lee. If appointed, Kim will become the first Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court with a background as a Supreme Court Justice in 12 years, since Lee Kangkuk served from January 2007 to January 2013.

Born in 1966 in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, Kim graduated from Seoul National University School of Law and passed the 30th National Judicial Examination in 1988. Over the past 30 years, he has held key positions in the judiciary, including Constitutional Court research officer and chief research officer, Supreme Court research officer, chief presiding judge of the First Civil Division at Seoul Central District Court, and Supreme Court Justice.