[Breaking News] Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae: "Difficult to Accept Claim That 'Procedural Defect' Existed in Nomination Process"

[Financial News] Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae issued another statement on the nomination of Supreme Court Justices on the 23rd, directly rebutting Cheong Wa Dae's position.
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae issued a statement that day, saying, "I am providing an explanation because various interpretations have been offered regarding yesterday's statement and there have been requests for clarification." He added, "It is difficult to accept the claim that 'a procedural defect existed in the nomination process.'"
In a statement issued the previous day, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae said, "The document concerning Cheong Wa Dae's request for renomination does not specify the reasons for the request or its constitutional grounds. Nor can any specific constitutional grounds or reasons justifying the request for renomination be found elsewhere. Therefore, I cannot comply with the request for renomination."
Cheong Wa Dae had requested the renomination of a Supreme Court Justice on the 28th of last month, saying, "The nomination of candidate Son Bong-gi did not have sufficient procedural completeness." After various interpretations emerged regarding the previous day's statement, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae directly rebutted the claim again.
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae elaborated, "The official letter requesting renomination does not clearly state the reason for the request. The grounds and reasons must be clearly presented in the wording of the official letter so that there can be no dispute over its validity and the procedures required by the Constitution and laws can proceed."
This was understood as Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae making clear that he could not proceed with subsequent steps because Cheong Wa Dae had not provided specific reasons or legal grounds for the request for renomination and questions remained about its constitutional basis.
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae stressed, "In particular, the stated reason that a 'procedural defect in the nomination process' existed, as reported through the media and other outlets in connection with the request for renomination, is difficult to accept in light of the provisions of the Constitution and laws."
However, regarding the passage in his previous day's statement that "the President's acts in matters of state shall be carried out through a countersigned document," Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae explained, "Under Article 82 of the Constitution, this is a general statement that the President's acts in matters of state must be carried out in a formal document and that their interpretation must be based solely on the document; it does not mean that the official letter had a formal defect."
Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused by the prolonged vacancy in Supreme Court Justice positions and said he would work to ensure that the process is completed swiftly.

[email protected] Kim Dong-gyu Reporter