Supreme Court justice nominee under fire

By Lee Kyung-min

Park Sang-ok

Park Sang-ok, a former prosecutor who was nominated last week as a Supreme Court justice, is under fire for his involvement in a scheme to cover up the torture death of a university student in the 1980s while he was a prosecutor.

This past heavily undercuts the required quality of impartiality, ethics and morals of the highest standard as one of the nation’s top justice, critics said Tuesday.

According to Rep. Seo Gi-ho of the minor opposition Justice Party, Park led an investigation into the death of Park Jong-cheol, a student activist. He was detained without an arrest warrant and waterboarded by investigators in January 1987. The treatment resulted in his death.

The prosecutor initially cleared the investigators of murder and torture allegations. However, the torture death was revealed by a group of Catholic priests, and triggered nationwide democratic movement in June 1987 against the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan.

“Supreme Court justices are the conscience of society. Based on the Constitution, we would look to them as the last beacon of hope in society to protect and safeguard every member, guaranteeing the same rights each deserves,” Seo said.

“With such a past, the public would have little faith in whether he would carry out the role expected of him, and the decisions he would reach.”

Park’s past is expected to be a key debate topic at a National Assembly confirmation hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.