With two Supreme Court justice positions vacant, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae remains silent regarding the Blue House's request for reappointment of candidates.
On the morning of September 8, as he arrived at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Cho responded briefly to reporters' questions about the reappointment decision, saying, "I will speak if there is something to announce."
He did not answer questions regarding the new composition of the Supreme Court Justice Candidate Recommendation Committee or communication with the Blue House before entering the court building.
The Supreme Court has been operating with two vacancies for the second consecutive day. Following the retirement of former Justice Noh Tae-ack in March and Justice Lee Heung-gu the previous day after completing their six-year terms, the court's roster has been reduced to 12 out of 14 justices.
Notably, the Supreme Court's third division is now down to only two justices, as Justice Noh Kyung-pil was appointed as the head of the Court Administration Office in July, leaving the division with only two of its four positions filled. Since decisions require the agreement of at least three justices, the vacancies are expected to disrupt judicial operations.
Previously, Chief Justice Cho had recommended Judge Son Bong-ki of the Daegu District Court as a candidate to succeed former Justice Noh Tae-ack. However, the Blue House has requested reappointment, citing a failure to adhere to the customary pre-consultation process during the appointment of justices.
Judge Kim Sung-soo of the Seoul High Court, nominated to succeed Justice Lee, is set to face a National Assembly confirmation hearing on September 14. However, even if the hearing and the adoption of the confirmation report proceed as scheduled, it may take considerable time before he officially takes office.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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