민주·혁신·진보 법사위원들 “조희대, 이 대통령 임명권 무시…손봉기 반려해야”

Members of the Democratic Party, Innovation Party, and Progressive Party in the National Assembly urged the presidential office to reconsider the appointment of Hong Bonggi, the candidate for Supreme Court Chief Justice, after he was nominated by Hong Bonggi, the head of the Seoul District Court. At a press conference held on the 21st, the three lawmakers said that allowing Hong Bonggi's nomination without proper discussion and procedure would set a bad precedent.

They stated that the presidential office should respect the authority to appoint a Supreme Court Chief Justice and uphold the legitimacy of presidential appointments. The lawmakers criticized Hong Bonggi's nomination as a "double standard," pointing out that Supreme Court Chief Justice Yoo Seok-seok had submitted three nomination requests for the previous president's appointment within 11 days, while the current president took 209 days to appoint a new Chief Justice.

The lawmakers noted that the presidential office had sent a formal notification to Hong Bonggi's nomination after repeated attempts to meet face-to-face with former President Yoo Seok-seok. However, the judicial administration office claimed that they had consulted with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and had no opportunity to meet the president.

The officials questioned why the same principle was not applied to former President Yoo Seok-seok. They also revealed that the judicial administration office had called four candidates, including Kim Min-ki, a Seoul High Court judge, and asked them to withdraw their nominations. The lawmakers demanded that Hong Bonggi step down, emphasizing that he had acted as a "double standard" and must face the judgment of the nation.