Constitutional Court Justice nominee Lee You-jung expressed a reserved stance toward legalizing same-sex marriage during a parliamentary confirmation hearing Monday.

“As for the controversial same-sex marriage, it is a matter that requires a long time to be legalized even in Western society and should be based on a long-term social consensus,” she said. 

Lee, 49, a former lawyer who specialized in women’s rights, was tapped in August as a justice nominee for the nine-member bench to fill one of two vacancies.

“I am not confident that our society has reached the level to accept such a type of family,” Lee said.

The former state prosecutor said that the national security law -- which critics claimed has been used to silence political dissent -- should be strictly applied without restricting the public’s freedom of expression. She also said that the death penalty should be scrapped.

The ruling party and the opposition bloc continued to lock horns over whether to approve the nomination at Monday’s parliamentary hearing, with opposition lawmakers taking issue with her alleged ideological bias.

During the election in 2011, she backed liberal Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, which critics say shows bias that could undermine the Constitutional Court’s political neutrality.

The appointment for Chief Justice nominee Kim Yi-su, who President Moon Jae-in named in May, is also pending, amid continued political bickering. The top post at the court has been left vacant since acting chief Lee Jung-mi’s tenure ended in March.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)