In South Korea, concern grows over weaponized constitutional court

Politicians and legal experts worry that the Constitutional Court's operations could come to a halt in October amid delays in nominating successors to three justices whose terms expire in two months. The Democratic Party (DP)'s push to impeach seven public officials since the launch of the new National Assembly has further fueled this concern. [ . . . ] If the National Assembly passes an impeachment motion, the duties of the impeached official are suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on the validity of the motion. At least seven judges must attend the Constitutional Court’s hearing.   If the number of judges falls to six or fewer, the hearing will be suspended, prolonging the official's suspension. This is why attention is focused on the expiration of the six-year terms of the nine Constitutional Court justices.   Four judges' terms will expire by October. Justice Lee Eun-ae's term will expire on Sept. 20, while the terms of Justices Lee Jong-seok, Lee Young-jin and Kim Ki-young will end on Oct. 17. Lee Eun-ae was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but the other three were appointed by the National Assembly, and the election of their successors must be decided through a parliamentary plenary session.
Read the full article here: Korea JoongAng Daily