28 candidates shortlisted for Supreme Court vacancy, including judges from President Lee's cases

Twenty-eight candidates have been selected to be considered for the successor to Supreme Court Justice Lee Heung-gu, whose term is set to expire on September 7. This selection process comes amid an ongoing delay in appointing a replacement for former Supreme Court Justice Roh Tae-hak, raising concerns about a potential two-justice vacancy on the nation's highest court.

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The appointment procedure for Justice Lee Heung-gu's successor is also being delayed, which could lead to a vacancy of two Supreme Court justices.

The Supreme Court received recommendations for 87 candidates between May 22 and June 2, with 28 agreeing to undergo the screening process. Of these, 27 are currently serving judges, and one is a former judge and professor at Korea University Law School. Among the 28, two women have agreed to the screening: Im Hae-ji, chief judge of the Daegu Family Court, and Kim Ye-young, a chief judge at the Seoul Southern District Court. Im Hae-ji notably reported the highest assets among high-ranking judges during the March public disclosure, with over 38.8 billion won.

Notably, the list of candidates includes judges who presided over key stages of President Lee Jae-myung's legal cases. Jeong Jae-oh, a judge at the Seoul High Court, was part of the panel that acquitted President Lee in the appeal of his public election law violation case. Lee Jae-kwon, a presiding judge at the Seoul High Court, handled the retrial of President Lee's case after the Supreme Court remanded it, drawing controversy for scheduling the first hearing and issuing a summons the day after the Supreme Court's decision.

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Among the 28 who agreed to the screening, 27 are currently serving judges. The remaining one is Professor Ha Myung-ho of Korea University Law School, a former judge.

The Supreme Court also formed a recommendation committee to select a shortlist of three candidates for the President. The committee is chaired by Park Eun-jeong, a professor emeritus at Ewha Womans University Law School, with Lee Soo-hyung, CEO of The Law Times, and Lee Hee-jeong, a professor at Korea University Law School, serving as external members. Six ex officio members include Senior Justice Lee Heung-gu, Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho, and heads of legal associations.

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Judges who presided over President Lee's retrial and appeal cases are also among the candidates for Justice Roh Tae-hak's successor and now for Justice Lee's successor.

The court plans to solicit opinions on the candidates from within and outside the judiciary until July 3. The recommendation committee will then review the candidates' suitability, and the Chief Justice will recommend one or more candidates to the President. The current vacancy for one justice has been managed by leaving the position of Court Administration Chief vacant, as this role does not involve judicial proceedings. However, further delays could disrupt the appellate review process.

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Judge Jeong Jae-oh of the Seoul High Court was part of the panel that acquitted President Lee in the appeal of his public election law violation case.