O Young-jun, a candidate for Constitutional Court Justice, said during a National Assembly personnel hearing on the 18th, "Recently, conflicts in our society surrounding gender, generations, regions, ideologies, and the gap between the rich and the poor are intensifying," and "I will be dedicated to integrating and adjusting our society's conflicts according to constitutional norms and values, guaranteeing the basic rights of the people, and upholding the Constitution."
On the same day, Candidate O said during his opening remarks at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee personnel hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, "I stand here with the heavy mission of guaranteeing the basic rights of the people and defending the Constitution, as a Constitutional Court Justice."
Candidate O noted, "I have performed various judicial tasks for 31 years," and "While experiencing patent, civil, criminal, and administrative trials, I played a role in mediating conflicting values and interests within diverse systems." He added, "While handling countless cases, I have strived to listen patiently to the various voices of the parties involved and our society with a balanced perspective, carefully considering what a more reasonable and just conclusion could be."
Candidate O also said, "I believe that the teaching of Master Jeong Yak-yong, 'the essence of the trial lies in equity,' should be deeply engraved as the fundamental attitude of a judge, and I have tried to practice it," adding, "I have guarded myself against making dogmatic judgments that are disconnected from the general public's sense of justice or applying formal logic while ignoring the realities faced by the vulnerable minority in my rulings."
Furthermore, Candidate O remarked, "The Constitution is the supreme norm ensuring the organization and structure of the state as well as the guarantee of the basic rights of the people, reflecting the historical experiences and spirit of the times of the Republic of Korea," and noted, "The current Constitution was born out of the people's aspirations for democratization in 1987." He continued, "Accordingly, since its inception in 1988, the Constitutional Court has declared the constitutional values that our society must uphold and strive for over the past 37 years, taking the lead in firmly safeguarding the constitutional order and guaranteeing the basic rights of the people through numerous decisions driving social change."
Candidate O stated, "Recently, our society's conflicts surrounding gender, generations, regions, ideologies, and the gap between the rich and the poor are further intensifying," adding, "As the informationization of society progresses at a high level and the era of artificial intelligence (AI) arrives, new areas for protecting basic rights are emerging, and the importance of environmental rights is being highlighted again amid the global climate crisis."
He further emphasized, "If I am given the opportunity to work as a Constitutional Court Justice, I will be dedicated to integrating and adjusting our society's conflicts according to constitutional norms and values amidst these social changes and contemporary circumstances, guaranteeing the basic rights of the people and preserving the Constitution by providing guidance on the direction our society should progress towards," adding, "Moreover, I will also put effort into protecting the rights of minorities and the vulnerable and realizing the principle of substantive equality in a democratic society where the principle of majority rule prevails."