조희대, 손봉기·김성수 대법관 제청…노태악 후임 6개월 미뤄 갈등

Kim Seong-su and Lee Sung-su, two Supreme Court justices, officially submitted nominations for the upcoming vacancies on September 7th. 손봉기, a judge from the Daegu District Court, was named the interim replacement for Lee Sung-su, who will retire in September. 김성수, a judge from the Seoul High Court, was appointed as the interim replacement for Park Jung-soo, who is stepping down in September.

This decision came after a prolonged legal gap of almost six months, with the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court clashing over the interim appointment of a judge to replace Park Jung-soo. 손봉기, who has been working in the Daegu region for over 30 years, has been recognized twice as an excellent judge by the Daegu Bar Association. 김성수, on the other hand, began his judicial career in 1998 as a judge in the Gwangju District Court and has held various administrative positions, including serving as the deputy director of the law school at the Daegu Law University.

Both judges are known for their impartial political views, which has received positive feedback from their fellow judges. Despite this, the Supreme Court and the government have been at odds over the process of appointing a judge to replace Park Jung-soo, with the law enforcement law (anti-corruption, judicial review, and expansion of the judiciary) passing through the National Assembly due to the opposition of the Ministry of Justice.