The nomination agreement for Kim Sang-hwan as the President of the Constitutional Court passed the National Assembly’s plenary session on the 23rd. The Constitutional Court will normalize from a seven-member system to a nine-member system.
On this day, the National Assembly passed the nomination agreement for Kim with 206 votes in favor, 49 against, and 9 abstentions among 264 present members.
Earlier, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a dispute over the political neutrality of Kim during the confirmation hearing process. Kim stated regarding concerns about his political bias due to his involvement in the Law Research Group and the International Human Rights Law Research Group that it is merely an academic organization.
Lee Jae-jung, a Democratic Party member and chair of the special committee for personnel hearings, noted that "(Kim) has emphasized the importance of guaranteeing fundamental rights under the Constitution and has made rulings that effectively protect the weak," adding that, "Considering the overall fact that his will and commitment to uphold the Constitution are clear and not swayed by political pressure, he possesses the qualifications and capabilities necessary to be the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court."
He continued, stating, "We have gone through verification procedures to ensure that the nominee is capable of fulfilling his duties as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court," and urged the nominee to perform his duties as Chief Justice, keeping in mind the points raised and highlighted by each committee member during the hearing process.
Kim will finalize the appointment process and begin his six-year term. The Constitutional Court has continued a seven-member system after former justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun resigned. The personnel hearing report for candidate Oh Young-joon also passed the threshold of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee the day before.