Acting South Korean president appoints two Constitutional judges ahead of vote to remove Yoon

MADRID Dec. 31 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The new acting president of South Korea, Choi Sang Mok, has appointed this Tuesday two of the three judges of the Constitutional Court that were pending, which largely responds to the demands of the opposition, which threatened to start a process of dismissal against him in case Choi did not give the go-ahead.

The measure, which allows filling two of the three free vacancies in the court in the absence of a magistrate to fill the nine existing positions, comes shortly before the vote to complete the impeachment process against former president Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law at the beginning of December, a decision that has plunged the country into a political crisis.

Choi has indicated that Jeong Gye Seon, one of the judges recommended by the opposition Democratic Party (DP), and Cho Han Chang, recommended by the government People’s Power Party (PPP), will fill two of the three vacancies, although they are not has ruled on the last magistrate due to the lack of agreements between the different formations.

“I have decided to appoint these magistrates due to the need to put an end to the political uncertainty and social conflict as soon as possible and thus stop the possible economic crisis that derives from this situation,” he stated, according to information from the Yonhap news agency.

The DP had previously demanded former acting president Han Duck Soo ratify the three judges without delay. However, the opposition also ended up promoting his dismissal after he refused.

South Korean legislation establishes that six votes in favor – out of a total of nine – are necessary to carry out an impeachment process against the country’s head of state, although until now the Constitutional Court had only six magistrates, which made it difficult for the measure to go ahead.

The PPP has criticized Choi’s position, whom they have accused of “succumbing to pressure from opposition forces and threats” made against him, for which they have stated in turn that they will remove the current president if he continues with the appointments.

Yoon was removed from office by the South Korean Parliament in a motion passed by the National Assembly held in mid-December. The Constitutional Court of the Asian country must decide before June whether to restore his powers or permanently disqualify him.