청와대와 사전 조율 없는 대법관 ‘패싱 제청’…조희대 대법원장과 여권 갈등 고조

The Supreme Court Chief Justice, Park Hee-bum, unexpectedly appointed four Supreme Court candidate judges without prior coordination with the Blue House and the Democratic Party on March 18th. This decision has once again heightened tensions between the Blue House, the Democratic Party, and the judiciary. The ongoing conflict between Park Hee-bum, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, and the passport issue has escalated to this level.

While the Supreme Court has the authority to appoint Supreme Court judges, it is customary for the Supreme Court and the Blue House to consult and agree on a candidate before taking such action. A former legal expert explained that "the president's power to appoint Supreme Court judges is not a mechanical authority" and that "the Supreme Court's power to discipline Supreme Court judges is one of its functions."

Prior to this, the Supreme Court Candidate Nomination Committee recommended four candidates to Park Hee-bum on January 1st, including Seoul High Court judge Kim Min-ki, Sunchang District Court chief judge Son Bong-gi, and two others. In this process, Park Hee-bum favored Kim Min-ki's nomination while rejecting Kim's father, a current constitutional judge (Oyeon-jun).

The ongoing disagreement between the president and Park Hee-bum has escalated, creating a situation where no appointment could be made for nearly six months. Lawmakers have been critical of Park Hee-bum's delay in appointing Supreme Court judges and have called for judicial reform.