National Assembly begins confirmation hearings on Constitutional Court justices
A confirmation hearing on Ma Eun-hyuk, a Constitution Court justice nominee, is held at the National Assembly in Seoul amid the ruling People Power Party boycotted the hearing, Dec. 23. Yonhap
The National Assembly began a two-day confirmation hearing process Monday for three nominees to the Constitutional Court, which will deliberate on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial.
The parliamentary hearings aim to fill vacancies on the nine-member bench, where six justices are currently seated. By law, at least six votes are required to uphold an impeachment motion.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) held a hearing on Ma Eun-hyuk earlier in the day in the absence of lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and is set to conduct another hearing on Jeong Gye-seon, both of whom were recommended by the opposition.
A third nominee, Cho Han-chang, recommended by the ruling party, is scheduled to undergo a hearing Tuesday.
During the hearing, Ma introduced his past activities opposing the military rule and pledged to uphold the constitutional order.
Reflecting on the oppressive campus atmosphere when he entered university in 1981, the 61-year-old said he collaborated with other students, friends and citizens "to contribute in a modest way to the era's task of ending the military dictatorship and restoring democracy."
It remains uncertain whether acting President Han Duck-soo would proceed with formal appointments of the three nominees.
The PPP has argued that Han lacks presidential authority to make the appointments and has vowed to file a suit with the Constitutional Court seeking an injunction if he proceeds.
In contrast, the DPK has urged Han to expedite the appointments, claiming formalizing the nomination approved by the National Assembly is merely a formality.
The DPK said it plans to adopt the confirmation hearing reports Tuesday and put them to a plenary vote later this week. (Yonhap)