President Moon Jae-in on Friday appointed Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae as Constitutional Court justices, pushing ahead with the appointments despite fierce objections from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.

The appointment did not come as a surprise as the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee had failed to reach a consensus on the two nominees Thursday, the deadline for the National Assembly to submit its confirmation hearing reports.

Ruling party lawmakers refused to attend the Judiciary Committee meeting, insisting that both nominees be given the green light, while the Liberty Korea Party and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party held vigorously against Lee’s appointment.

Justices Seo Ki-seok and Cho Yong-ho saw their tenures expire Thursday.

The Liberty Korea Party plans to hold a massive rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Saturday to protest the Moon Jae-in administration.

“If Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae are appointed as Constitutional Court justices, 6 of the 9 justices will be pro-Moon-leaning figures. The administration is seeking to define what it does not like as ‘deep-rooted evil’ and take the matter to the Constitutional Court,” main opposition Floor Leader Na Kyung-won had said in a party meeting held early in the day.

Na alleged the administration would be able to craft policies on North Korea without parliamentary approval if the Constitutional Court were to rule the National Security Law unconstitutional.

Echoing Na, party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday vowed to fight Lee’s nomination, saying, “If the president finalizes the appointment of candidate Lee, the party will use all possible measures to fight the decision together with citizens.”
 
By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)