Kim Hyung-doo, a judge (60, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class of 19), was elected as the acting president of the Constitutional Court on the 21st. Kim is the most senior among the seven incumbent judges. The authorized number of Constitutional Court judges is nine, but former judges Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun retired on the 18th after their terms expired.
The Constitutional Court announced that it held a judges' meeting at 10 a.m. that day and elected Judge Kim Hyung-doo as the acting president of the Constitutional Court. Kim took office in March 2023. Former Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo nominated him, and former President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed him.
The president appoints one of the incumbent judges as the president of the Constitutional Court with the consent of the National Assembly. If the position of the president of the Constitutional Court becomes vacant, an acting president will be elected in the judges' meeting. Before the election, the most senior judge among the judges serves as the acting president. Kim is the most senior among the incumbent judges.
Meanwhile, after the retirement of former Chief Justice Lee Jong-seok in October last year, former Judge Moon Hyung-bae served as the acting president. With the retirement of former Judge Moon on the 18th, the acting president system has been reinstated.
For the time being, the Constitutional Court is expected to operate under a '7-member system.' Previously, acting President Han Duck-soo, who also serves as the Prime Minister, nominated candidates Lee Wan-kyu and Ham Sang-hoon, but the Constitutional Court accepted a request to suspend the effectiveness of the nominations, halting the appointment process.