Constitutional Court Completes '9-Member System' in 3 Months... Chief Kim Sang-hwan Says 'Must Be Free from External Influence'

[Financial News] Chief Justice Kim Sang-hwan emphasized that "not only must we be free from undue external influence, but we must also demonstrate unwavering independence in appearance."
Chief Kim stated in his inaugural address on the 24th, "We must not lose the trust of the people by placing ourselves in positions where our independence or fairness is questioned."
Chief Kim explained, "Enhancing the transparency of constitutional trial procedures expands the public's access to these procedures," and "translating arguments made during the trial process into clear and simple language in the decision document helps the public understand the constitution and constitutional trials, making decisions easier to accept."
He added, "There is an essential task of 'a trial that is trusted and accepted, a trial that shares the meaning of the constitution with the people,'" and "When the Constitutional Court faithfully implements the meaning and value of our constitution through its decisions, the trust of the people who have granted the authority of constitutional adjudication will deepen."
He also emphasized the need for swift trials now that the '9-member system' is complete.
Chief Kim stated, "The vacancy in the bench that has continued since last year has finally been resolved, and a full bench can now conduct trials," adding, "Decisions must not be delayed to the point where social conflicts are exacerbated and individual rights cannot be remedied."
He further stated, "Let us focus our efforts on the inherent role of constitutional adjudication, which is to ensure that state power does not exceed constitutional limits, thereby guaranteeing individual freedom and rights."
Justice Oh Young-jun, who was inaugurated on the same day, emphasized harmony and balance.
Justice Oh stated, "I believe the consistent spirit flowing through our constitution is 'harmony and balance without bias,' and the divisions and conflicts seen in our society should be integrated and adjusted according to these constitutional norms and values," adding, "Decisions made by the majority should be respected as they are made through democratic procedures."
He further explained, "However, when there is a lack of consideration for minorities or the disadvantaged, and people suffer due to unfair standards, it is also one of the basic duties of a constitutional judge to point out these issues and suggest directions for the Korean community to move forward harmoniously together according to the aforementioned constitutional norms and values."
Justice Oh also mentioned the issue of 'delayed trials.' He stated, "Not only cases with significant national and social impact but also cases where ordinary citizens face difficulties in their daily lives or economic activities need to be resolved promptly," adding, "While fundamentally, there needs to be an increase in human and material resources, we will first strive to resolve the issue through selection and concentration, and improvements in the constitutional trial procedures."
With the inauguration of Chief Kim and Justice Oh, the '9-member system' was completed three months after former Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun retired in April. The term of a constitutional judge is six years.

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter