Roh Requests Hearing on Court Chief

On September 20, President Roh decided to submit a separate request for a hearing as a step to nominating Jeon Hyo-sook to the president of the Constitutional Court.

The decision was made as it was pointed out that nominating Jeon, who resigned from the court, violates a stipulation that the president should be appointed from among sitting judges.

Uri floor leader Kim Han-gil delivered the party’s opinion to Chief Presidential Secretary Lee Byung-wan, and Roh approved it.

Such a decision is interpreted as meaning, “Cheong Wa Dae will not withdraw the nomination or accept the request for the nominee’s declination.”

It is apparently a “humiliating” choice that Cheong Wa Dae admits there was a problem to the nominating process, but actually a step to nominate Jeon by teaming up with the three minority parties. The three minority parties, Democratic, Democratic Labor, and People First, offered a compromise that Jeon should be appointed a judge first.

However, the debate is likely to continue as Cheong Wa Dae is still arguing the nomination was not improper.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Yoon Tae-yeong said, “We are asking for a hearing once again not because we admit we made a mistake, but because we want to resolve the conflict.”

As for the debate on the effectiveness of the hearing, he said, “The National Assembly will judge whether it could be considered a hearing about the president of the Constitutional Court.”

The Democratic and Democratic Labor parties positively responded to Cheong Wa Dae’s decision, expecting the Grand National Party (GNP) to agree to the hearing.

Uri Party is planning to proceed with the hearing at the Legislation & Judiciary Committee within this month through the three minority parties’ cooperation. The Committee chair Ahn Sang-soo, GNP, is objecting to the hearing, but it can be held if the three minority parties cooperate.

However, there could be a clash even at the stage of calling the Committee as the GNP is arguing the hearing is invalid. GNP floor leader Kim Hyeong-o said, “Cheong Wa Dae’s request for a hearing proves we were right in arguing the nomination is invalid. If documents are invalid, the nominee is also invalid.” On the same day, Kim sent an open letter to urge Jeon to decline the nomination.

yongari@donga.com jyw11@donga.com