Kim Sang-hwan, the nominee for the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, stated on the 21st that the introduction of the 'judicial appeal' allowing constitutional petitions against court rulings should be decided carefully through sufficient discussion.
On that day, during his confirmation hearing, Kim noted, "The negative aspects of judicial appeals functioning practically as a four-tier system must be considered together with their advantages in making a decision."
Jang Dong-hyuk, a member of the People Power Party, asked, "What is your stance on entrusting judicial appeals to a constitutional court that inherently has political influences?" In response, Kim replied, "There are clear pros and cons to the introduction of judicial appeals," adding, "Sufficient discussion is necessary."
On that day, the People Power Party claimed during the hearing that the administration of Lee Jae-myung was trying to place Kim in the Chief Justice position as a 'favoritism appointment.' They pointed to Kim's past opinion indicating not guilty in Lee's election law violation case, as well as his activities with 'Our Law Research Society' and 'International Human Rights Law Research Society' as examples.
Representative Seo Beom-soo referred to the ruling related to President Lee's election law violation case in 2020, stating, "There is a common perception that this is a favoritism appointment that could once again save (President Lee's) political life regarding the cases that will be presented to the constitutional court," adding, "It seems there are many aspects entangled politically."
Representative Yoo Young-ha claimed that Kim has increased his wealth through gap investment and currently owns an apartment valued at about 5.5 billion won, stating, "Anyone can make gap investments and expand their real estate. The issue is that he selectively invested only in complexes that are undergoing or scheduled for redevelopment."
Representative Jo Bae-sook also remarked, "How did you know about the redevelopment information? You purchased redevelopment apartments and made a fortune each time," referring to him as "a master of gap investment."
On the other hand, the Democratic Party actively called for the advancement of legal reforms, such as increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, while refuting the opposition's concerns regarding the political bias of the nominee.
Representative Park Ji-hye stated, "Many believe it is very appropriate to appoint someone who has been at the forefront of protecting the socially vulnerable as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, which has the primary mission of protecting minority rights."
Representative Min Hyung-bae asked, "Can a person from Our Law Research Society or the International Human Rights Law Research Society influence judicial decisions? You must not be swayed by political attacks," adding, "It is entirely natural and appropriate for judges to gather and focus on special topics for study."
Representative Lee Geon-tae pointed out that an analysis of the first appointments of Supreme Court justices over the past ten years revealed that 44.1% were from the Central District Court, saying, "This shows how much the Supreme Court prefers elites. To address this issue, increasing the number of Supreme Court justices is necessary."