(LEAD) Chief justice says difficult to newly recommend Supreme Court justice due to lack of grounds

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae has expressed difficulty in complying with the presidential office's request to recommend a new Supreme Court justice, due to the lack of concrete grounds for the recommendation. Cho reaffirmed this stance during a parliamentary audit, which followed his refusal to make a new recommendation in August, when the presidential office cited a lack of procedural completeness.

Cho apologized for the prolonged vacancy and pledged to resolve the issue, but emphasized that he cannot proceed without specific reasons and constitutional grounds, as required by the Constitution. The Constitutional Court's ruling on this matter is that the chief justice cannot interfere in the National Assembly's consent process or the president's appointment process, and vice versa, making such involvement unconstitutional.

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