Choi Hee-dae, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is facing delays in deciding on the nomination of a Supreme Court justice. Despite repeated calls from the Blue House for a swift nomination process due to the prolonged vacancy, it appears that a conclusion may not be reached this week.
According to legal sources on the 14th, Chief Justice Choi has been deliberating since the Blue House requested the nomination of Song Bong-ki, a senior judge at the Daegu District Court, as the successor to former Justice Noh Tae-ack on August 28.
On August 18, Choi nominated Song from a list of four candidates recommended by the Supreme Court Justice Candidate Recommendation Committee to succeed Noh. However, ten days later, the Blue House requested a re-nomination, stating that the initial nomination was a "unilateral written recommendation without substantial consultation." Choi had previously told reporters on his way home that he would make an official statement the following week, but the announcement was postponed due to a family bereavement, and he has remained silent since then. On his first day back to work after the Blue House's renewed calls for a swift re-nomination, he did not provide any further comments.
On September 11, the Blue House stated, "We hope the Chief Justice will respect the recommendations of the committee and proceed with the re-nomination process as quickly as possible to ensure that the public's right to a fair trial is not compromised due to the long vacancy of Supreme Court justices." This comes as the vacancies of two justices have persisted for a week since the retirement of former Justice Lee Heung-gu on September 7, following Noh's departure in March.
Chief Justice Choi has the option to either nominate another candidate from the existing list of four or to reconstitute the recommendation committee to restart the nomination process. There is a prevailing belief within the judiciary and legal circles that a new committee may be formed, as the current law requires the Chief Justice to establish a committee for each nomination.
However, either choice carries significant implications. Nominating another candidate from the existing list could effectively limit the Chief Justice's authority to nominate, while forming a new committee could heighten tensions with the Blue House. Analysts suggest that Choi's ongoing deliberation, which includes reviewing constitutional and legal considerations and consulting external experts, is influenced by these pressures.
This week's schedule also complicates the timing of a decision. A confirmation hearing for Kim Sung-soo, the nominee to succeed Lee, is set for today, and the 20th Asia-Pacific Chief Justices' Conference will take place in Seoul from September 16 to 19. As this is the third time Korea has hosted this international event, there is added pressure to avoid making politically charged statements during the conference.
As a result, there is speculation that Chief Justice Choi may delay his decision until after the Asia-Pacific Chief Justices' Conference concludes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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