[Editorial] Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, delaying the recommendation of a Supreme Court Justice, are you trying to make a deal?

The ongoing controversy surrounding the appointment of a new chief justice, Je-hyuk Lee, has been a subject of debate since his term as chief justice concluded last September. The current chief justice, Je-hee Yoo, has been criticized for delaying the appointment of her successor for over six months, raising suspicions of a political transaction.

This '1+1 simultaneous appointment' proposal, in which she would appoint two candidates at once, has been suggested as a solution to address the prolonged vacancy. However, critics argue that this move could potentially undermine the judicial independence and erode public trust in the legal system. The current system for appointing chief justices and judges has its roots in the 1972 Constitutional Charter, which established the practice of direct presidential appointments and the chief justice's authority to appoint judges.

This practice has been criticized as a vestige of the authoritarian past, and calls for reforms are growing louder.