President Lee Myung-bak formally appointed three Supreme Court justices Thursday after the National Assembly endorsed their nominations the previous day, the presidential office said.

Lee, who has been on summer vacation since Monday, signed off on the appointment of Ko Young-han, Kim Shin and Kim Chang-suk to the top court through an electronic sanction system, the office said.

Parliament approved their nominations Wednesday.

The three were nominated in early June, along with a fourth candidate, Kim Byung-wha, to replace four outgoing justices. Their nominations had since stalled in parliament as the opposition party raised questions about the ethical standards of the fourth nominee. (Yonhap News)