Seoul, Jan 2
South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on Thursday pressed acting President Choi Sang-mok to fill the one remaining vacancy at the Constitutional Court as Choi appointed two justices, partially meeting the opposition's demand to fill three vacancies before a ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.
Earlier this week, Choi held off on the opposition-recommended justice Ma Eun-hyuk until the rival parties reach an agreement.
In a Facebook post, Woo said the three judges were recommended via agreements between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition Democratic Party (DP).
Presenting documents and remarks by the chiefs of two parties, Woo said, "It is confirmed that the ruling and the opposition parties have reached an agreement (on the recommendation of three judges), acting President Choi should swiftly appoint Ma as a Constitutional Court judge."
The DP had demanded former acting President Han Duck-soo appoint the three justices without delay once motions for their appointments passed the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
After Han refused last week, the DP railroaded the motions and impeached Han, suspending him from duty and putting Choi in his place as interim leader, Yonhap news agency reported.
By law, at least six votes are required to uphold an impeachment motion, which means the appointment of three additional justices could improve the chances of Yoon's impeachment being upheld.
The PPP voiced strong regret over Choi's appointments, accusing Choi of succumbing to the opposition's pressure and threats that it will also impeach Choi if he refuses to go ahead with the appointments.