By Kim Rahn
Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae nominated the heads of two district courts as Constitutional Court justices Thursday.
Yang selected Gwangju High Court head Lee Jin-seong and Daegu District Court head Kim Chang-jong for the positions.
Lee and Kim will replace two of four justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court who will retire next month after their six-year term ends. The remaining two posts will be filled with candidates recommended by the ruling Saenuri Party and jointly by the party and the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), respectively.
Lee, 56, a graduate of Seoul National University’s law school, has been a senior judge at district and high courts in Seoul and chief of the Seoul Central District Court.
Kim, 55, majored in law at Kyungpook National University and has held various positions at district and high courts in Daegu.
The two will undergo confirmation hearings at the National Assembly. If confirmed, President Lee Myung-bak will appoint them and their term will begin on Sept. 15.
In the meantime, the DUP has decided to recommend Judicial Research and Training Institute head Kim Yi-soo for another post which has been vacant since former Justice Cho Dae-hyun’s retirement in July last year. It had earlier recommended another candidate, lawyer Cho Yong-hwan, but the ruling party didn’t approve him at the hearing.
If Kim Yi-soo passes the hearing, he will begin his term along with the four new justices.