Supreme Court of Korea faces dual justice vacancies amid nomination dispute

The Supreme Court of Korea faces a potential judicial crisis as the number of vacant justice seats is set to rise to two. Justice Lee Heung-gu is scheduled to retire on January 7 following the completion of his six-year term.

This vacancy follows a prolonged dispute between the Blue House and the judiciary regarding the successor to former Justice Noh Tae-ak. While nominee Kim Seong-su is currently undergoing National Assembly confirmation hearings, a vacancy of at least two seats is expected for approximately ten days during the legislative process.

Furthermore, the deadlock over Justice Noh’s successor remains unresolved. Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae recently nominated Son Bong-gi, but the Blue House rejected the nomination, citing a lack of procedural completeness and demanding a re-nomination. A disagreement persists over whether the Chief Justice should nominate one of the other candidates previously recommended by the committee or re-establish the recommendation committee entirely to restart the process.

Legal experts warn that prolonged vacancies could disrupt the operations of both small benches and the En Banc sessions, which are currently tasked with reviewing high-profile cases involving major political and social figures.