By Kim Rahn
Former Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office head Kim Byeong-hwa, one of the nominees for four new Supreme Court justices, withdrew Thursday following corruption allegations raised against him.
It’s the first time that a top court justice nominee has withdrawn before receiving National Assembly approval since confirmation hearings for the position were adopted in 2000.
Kim, 57, issued a statement in which he said, “I want to plead my innocence over the groundless allegations surrounding me. But I thought if the whole justice approval process is delayed because of me, it would be a more serious problem. So I concluded that my withdrawal is what I can do to devote myself to the state.”
Kim has been under various suspicions, including falsifying his residential address for real estate speculation, tax evasion, and abusing his authority to help his son be assigned to an easy post for an alternative military service.
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), which has claimed Kim is unfit for the position, also alleged that Kim exercised influence to help a savings bank avoid investigation at the request of a lobbyist.
Not only the DUP but also incumbent judges opposed his nomination, submitting critical posts about him on the court’s intranet.
Following his resignation, the Supreme Court will restart the candidate selection process, which is expected to take about two months. The Assembly is expected to approve the other three candidates soon.