Lee Gong-hyun to be Appointed as Constitutional Court Justice

Lee has been assessed to be equipped in both legal theory and practical experience.

Lee has published research papers on jurisdiction of international court proceedings, and has given lectures based on his research at the Judicial Research and Training Center.

While employed as the director of the Legal Policy Research division of the court administrative department, Lee conducted the revision of the civil procedure code and the Koreanization of the legal text. In revising the law, he is famous for changing the issuing location of the “lease registration confirmation date” from the court registration office to the regional village and town offices that usually conduct the moving-in notification procedures, after reading three years worth of readers’ contributions in the newspapers.

In the first lawsuit regarding “parody websites,” Lee’s ruling reflected his open stance towards the freedom of expression. While he was chief prosecutor of the Busan High Court in 1995, Lee took a progressive stance in the “Federation of Korean National Students Association Spy Case,” deciding on a re-ruling for the violation on the National Security Law. With his second son passing the bar exam last December, both father and son are currently working together in the legal field.

Age: 55; Hometown: Gurye in South Jeolla Province; Seoul National University, College of Law; Qualified for 13th Session of National Bar Examinations; Judge of the Seoul Criminal District Court; Judicial Researcher of the Supreme Court; Chief Prosecutor at the Busan District Court; Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Civil District Court; Chief Secretary of the Head of the Supreme Court; and Chief Civil Prosecutor of the Seoul District Court

jin0619@donga.com