Blue House Expresses Regret Over Chief Justice's Rejection of Nomination Request

The Blue House expressed deep regret on September 22 over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's refusal to comply with a nomination request for Supreme Court justices.

In an official announcement, Chief Justice Cho stated he could not respond to President Yoon Suk Yeol's request, arguing that it undermines the president's appointment authority.

The Blue House responded through a media release, stating, "The Chief Justice's announcement implies that the Chief Justice's nomination authority takes precedence over the president's appointment authority, which is contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea."

It further asserted, "If the Chief Justice nominates a Supreme Court justice candidate, the president must appoint them, which undermines the appointment authority of an elected president."

Earlier that day, Chief Justice Cho announced through the Supreme Court, "I must clarify that I cannot comply with the nomination request." He noted that the request sent by the Blue House on August 28 lacked specific reasons and constitutional grounds, stating, "I cannot find any concrete constitutional basis or justification to validate the nomination request."

The Blue House and Chief Justice Cho have been at odds over the appointment of a successor to former Justice Noh Tae-ok. On August 18, Chief Justice Cho nominated Judge Son Bong-ki of the Daegu District Court as the successor, but President Yoon rejected this and requested a different candidate.

The Blue House also emphasized that the position has been vacant for over six months since former Justice Noh's retirement on March 3. It noted that each Supreme Court justice handles between 3,500 and 4,600 cases annually, stating, "The vacancy of one Supreme Court justice directly infringes on the public's right to a swift trial."

The Blue House urged Chief Justice Cho to recognize that the prolonged vacancy of the Supreme Court justice position results in harm to the public and to take action to address the current situation.