Chief justice rejects alleged procedural flaw in Supreme Court nomination

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae dismissed claims of a procedural flaw in the nomination of a top court justice on Wednesday. This comes a day after he declined a request from the presidential office to submit a new recommendation. The presidential office had previously asked Cho to recommend a new candidate after raising concerns over his written nomination of one of two Supreme Court justice nominees to President Lee Jae Myung.

However, Cho refused, stating that he could not comply due to the absence of specific reasons or constitutional justification for such a request. Cho clarified his position in a statement on Wednesday, emphasizing that any claims of procedural flaws in the nomination process must be supported by clear grounds and reasoning in the official document.

He further stated that such grounds are difficult to accept when viewed through the lens of the Constitution and legal regulations. The presidential spokesperson, Kang Yu-jung, had earlier claimed that the request for a new recommendation arose due to a lack of procedural completeness. Cho also apologized for the prolonged vacancy in the Supreme Court, promising to expedite the resolution of the issue.