[崔대행, 헌법재판관 2명 임명]
A college junior who sang “Sangmok” in private… Impeachment trial obstacles removed following opposition to martial law
Choi: “Overcoming the economic and people’s livelihood crisis comes first”… Presidential Office: “Choi went beyond the scope of his authority”
He “gives in to No”, Woo Won-sik also “regrets”… Refrain from impeachment amid “selective appointments are unconstitutional”
“I earnestly appeal to the ruling and opposition parties to move forward by working together to resolve the accident and stabilize the lives of the people in the new year by using the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge as an opportunity to shake off political uncertainty.”
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, said this at a cabinet meeting on the 31st, announcing the policy of appointing Jeong Gye-seon and Cho Han-chang as Constitutional Court judges. As an economic control tower, we can no longer ignore the expansion of uncertainty caused by political chaos. With this day’s decision, the political situation that had been engaged in an extreme confrontation over the appointment of a Constitutional Court judge, which led to an unprecedented ‘line impeachment’ incident, entered a new phase.
● Choi: “Political uncertainty and social conflict must end.”
Acting President Choi’s sudden appointment of a Constitutional Court judge was based on the judgment that the chaos in government affairs had reached a critical point amid concerns about an economic crisis and a decline in national credibility due to the impeachment incident. A high-ranking government official said that Acting President Choi, who received advice from all walks of life, including senior citizens, strengthened his decision to appoint a judge to the Constitutional Court after visiting the site of the Jeju Air disaster in Muan. Acting President Choi reportedly delivered this policy to People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kwon Young-se and floor leader Kwon Seong-dong the previous day (December 30, last year).
A government official said, “As the head of the economy, it would have been impossible not to consider the decline in external credibility,” and added, “If we go through another impeachment now, the won-dollar exchange rate could hit 1,500 won.”
Some analysts say it would not have been easy to make this decision, considering the relationship between Acting President Choi and President Yoon Seok-yeol. Although his path was different from that of Acting President Choi, who was an elite bureaucrat who took the civil service exam instead of the bar exam after graduating from Seoul National University Law School, President Yoon is said to have cared for him to the point of calling him “Sangmok” in private. It is said that when he was the secretary for economy and finance under the Park Geun-hye administration, he was investigated by the prosecution on suspicion of being involved in Choi Soon-sil’s government corruption scandal, and the prosecutors who took notice of him at the time recommended him to President Yoon, forming a relationship with him. However, Acting President Choi, who is evaluated as a principled person, most actively spoke out against martial law when martial law was declared on December 3, and is expected to become an important variable in the impeachment trial of President Yoon with this selection.
● 與 “Gives in to the opposition party” 野 “Selective appointment is unconstitutional”
With Acting President Choi’s sudden appointment as a Constitutional Court judge on this day, the Democratic Party’s momentum to pursue impeachment is expected to end, and the impeachment phase is expected to end for now. Accordingly, some predict that if the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial is upheld, the acting supreme authority system will be maintained until the presidential election.
However, Acting Choi Choi chose a compromise plan by first appointing only two of the three Constitutional Court judges recommended by the National Assembly to the ruling and opposition parties. Regarding Ma Eun-hyeok, the candidate for Constitutional Court, who was strongly opposed by the ruling party, the appointment was put on hold, saying, “The remaining person will be appointed as soon as the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties is confirmed.” It is interpreted as an intention to secure the minimum justification for maintaining the existing government’s position that ‘a consensus between the ruling and opposition parties is necessary’ while avoiding a potential impeachment.
In response, the Democratic Party protested, saying, “It is unconstitutional to select and appoint Constitutional Court judges,” but said they would delegate the impeachment of Acting Choi to the leadership. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik also issued a statement and criticized, saying, “The appointment of a Constitutional Court judge is not a matter of compromise,” and “I express serious regret over Acting Acting President Choi’s judgment.” It is known that Chairman Woo is also considering filing a request for a power dispute adjudication to the Constitutional Court.
However, the background to the Democratic Party’s acceptance of this is interpreted to be the judgment that a speedy impeachment trial of President Yoon is most important in resolving the martial law situation and in the future presidential election. A member of the Democratic Party leadership said, “It is shameful that they arbitrarily withheld Candidate Ma, but since ‘speeding up impeachment’ is the top priority, we have no choice but to accept it for now.”
The People Power Party fiercely protested, saying, “We gave in to the opposition party’s impeachment scare and sacrificed the principles of due process under the Constitution.” Floor leader Kwon met with reporters and said, “Acting President Choi’s forced appointment of a Constitutional Court judge violated the great principle of separation of prosecution and trial under the Constitution,” and added, “Today’s decision will remain as a wrong precedent.” Emergency committee chairman Kwon also said in a phone call, “If the authority dispute adjudication for Chairman Woo’s decision to pass the impeachment motion against former acting president Han Deok-soo with a majority of the seats as for the prime minister is cited, there will also be controversy over whether Acting President Choi’s actions will be retroactively invalidated.” “It could happen,” he said.
A high-ranking official in the President’s Office also said, “It is very regrettable that the scope of authority that should have been restrained in the acting position of the acting president was exceeded.” At the cabinet meeting that day, several cabinet members, including Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, reportedly protested strongly, saying, “What if we make this decision without consultation?”
Reporter Shin Na-ri [email protected]
Reporter Ahn Gyu-young [email protected]
Sejong = Reporter Song Hye-mi [email protected]
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