To show his longstanding commitment to protecting the rights of the socially marginalized, Ahn catalogued a history of his rulings in favor of them. One of them concerned a naturalized foreign-born spouse on the verge of losing her citizenship.

Ahn said that his advocacy for the socially disadvantaged stems from his personal experience.

"My father passed away when I was a high school student, and due to my family's financial conditions, I had difficulty advancing into the tertiary education," he recalled. "It was a tough period, but this experience helped me understand the socially weak."

The nominee then highlighted the importance of "objective, fair" trials to enhance public trust in courts. He also said that the legal process should be speedy to ensure that low-income citizens are not put at a disadvantage due to lengthy, costly litigation procedures.

During the hearing, Ahn came under fire for his children's use of fake addresses in the 1990s to send them to schools of their choice. He acknowledged it and apologized.

Asked about whether the death penalty should be abolished, he said that the capital punishment has to be "considerably" restricted as any misjudgment cannot be reversed.

On the issue of those refusing to carry out their mandatory military duty based on their religious beliefs, the nominee threw his support behind the idea of allowing them to carry out alternative services.

Ahn's appointment requires consent from a majority of lawmakers present during a floor vote that can be set up by a majority of all 299 legislators. The ruling Democratic Party with only 121 seats is far short of a majority, necessitating opposition support. (Yonhap)