Uncertainty over President...

Written : 2025-02-27 20:00:00 KST

Feb 28. 2025

Uncertainty over President Yoon’s impeachment timeline as Court rules in favor of instating left-leaning justice

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. We begin with a crucial ruling today by the Constitutional Court. In a unanimous decision, it said acting President Choi Sang-mok holding back the appointment of justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk stands in breach of the parliament's authority to recommend court justices. This was in response to a parliamentary lawsuit against the acting President. Oh Soo-young covers this ruling and its implications. The Constitutional Court has ruled that Acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk was unconstitutional, violating the National Assembly's authority to select Constitutional Court justices.

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timeline 시각표

instate 임명하다, 취임시키다

left-leaning (정치적으로) 좌경의

crucial 중대한, 결정적인

unanimous [ juˈnænɪməs ] 만장일치의

acting President 대통령 권한대행

hold back 저지하다, (~하기를) 망설이다

stand in breach of …에 위배[저촉]되다.

breach 위반, 어김

authority 권한

rule (공식적으로) 결정[판결]을 내리다

withhold <승낙 등을> 보류하다

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On Thursday, the Court announced its verdict that Choi does not have discretion to review or reject justices elected by the National Assembly, reaffirming that the legislature's selection power is independent and substantive. Choi had appointed two out of three justices put forward by the Assembly in December last year, but deferred Ma Eun-hyuk's appointment, calling for bipartisan agreement first. At the same time, the Court dismissed the request from the National Assembly Speaker to confirm Ma's status as a justice or order his immediate appointment, citing legal limitations. Following the ruling, Choi is now under significant pressure to appoint Ma Eun-hyuk,.. a left-leaning judge recommended by the opposition Democratic Party.

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discretion 재량권, 결정권

reaffirm 재차 단언[긍정·시인]하다

independent 독립적인

substantive 본질적인, 중요한

put forward (안건·의견을) 내다[제기하다], 지명하다

defer [dɪˈfɜː(r)] 미루다, 연기하다 (=put off)

dismiss 묵살하다, 기각하다

the National Assembly Speaker 국회의장

(the) Speaker(의회의) 의장

cite legal limitations 법률적인 제한을 언급[인용]하다

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His appointment is politically sensitive as he would be the fifth progressive justice on a nine-member bench. Choi's office said the Acting President would "respect" the Court's decision, and would carefully look into the verdict, but couldn't comment on if or when Ma would be appointed. If Ma is soon instated, various complications could arise in President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial, as the Court would then decide whether or not he will participate in the deliberation process. Given that Yoon's trial hearings concluded this week, the court could exclude Ma. Even if Ma is included, experts say he might choose to recuse himself to avoid controversy, and maintain the current eight-member bench. But if he participates, the Court would have to decide whether Ma should conduct a brief review of trial materials, or hold a retrial process which involves a more comprehensive examination with more hearings.

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bench 판사(석/직)

given that ~ ~ 를 감안할 때, ~ 을 고려하면

recue 구제하다, 구조하다

retrial 재심

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The latter could significantly delay the ruling,.. which is currently expected in mid-March. President Yoon's legal team on Thursday strongly condemned the court's decision, calling it politically motivated, and aimed at securing a six-vote majority to uphold Yoon's impeachment. Yoon's team raised concerns over Ma Eun-hyuk's past affiliation with progressive legal groups which they said undermines judicial neutrality. They claim that Acting President Choi is not legally bound to appoint Ma and should conduct a thorough administrative review before making a final decision. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.