South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok announced plans to immediately appoint two Constitutional Court justices, aiming to restore stability following the impeachment of two of his predecessors earlier this month.
Choi, who also serves as Finance Minister, stepped into the acting presidency on December 27 after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was impeached for failing to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court. Han had been acting president since December 14, following the suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who attempted to impose martial law on December 3.
During a Cabinet meeting, Choi emphasized the urgency of addressing political uncertainty to avert economic and social crises.
“Having succeeded as acting President on December 27, I decided to appoint Constitutional Court justices because of the urgency of ending political uncertainty and social conflict as soon as possible, to stop the possibility of crises in the economy and people's livelihoods,” Choi stated.
Choi pledged to appoint two justices immediately and a third once the ruling People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party reach a consensus on a candidate. The nine-member Constitutional Court currently has three vacancies, requiring a unanimous vote among the remaining six justices to decide on the impeachment cases of President Yoon and Prime Minister Han.
Political tensions have escalated between the opposition Democratic Party, which controls parliament, and Yoon’s ruling party. Choi called on both sides to collaborate with the government to resolve the political impasse and focus on national recovery efforts, including addressing the aftermath of the country’s deadliest plane crash and supporting economic stability.
The prolonged turmoil has drawn warnings from credit ratings agency Fitch, which cautioned that extended political instability could jeopardize South Korea’s economic outlook and lead to a downgrade of its credit rating.
The Constitutional Court's decisions on whether to permanently oust Yoon and Han or restore them to their positions are critical for the country’s governance and stability.
Choi’s decisive action to fill the court vacancies is seen as a crucial step in resolving the political crisis that has gripped Asia’s fourth-largest economy.