Ex-PM Han Investigated in Court Justice Probe

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Questioned Over Constitutional Court Appointments

On the 21st, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was summoned by the insurrection special counsel for questioning. Han, who served as acting president in December of last year, is under investigation for not appointing constitutional court justices recommended by the National Assembly. This incident has sparked significant public and legal scrutiny.

During a regular briefing, Assistant Special Counsel Park Ji-young confirmed that Han appeared at 11 a.m. and is currently being investigated. The charges against him include dereliction of duty and abuse of authority related to the appointment of constitutional court justices.

The National Assembly had recommended three candidates—Ma Eun-hyuk, Jeong Gye-seon, and Jo Han-chang—as constitutional court justices on December 26 of last year. At that time, former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had been impeached, was suspended from his duties, and Han was serving as acting president. However, Han delayed the appointments, citing a lack of consensus on the recommended candidates.

Later, after Han was also impeached, then-Vice Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok, who took over as acting president, proceeded to appoint Jeong Gye-seon and Jo Han-chang among the three candidates.

In March, following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of the impeachment and his return to duties, Han faced further controversy when he nominated Lee Wan-kyu, former head of the Ministry of Government Legislation, and Ham Sang-hoon, Seoul High Court Presiding Judge, as successors to acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Justice Lee Ma-eun.

Civil society groups reported Han to investigative authorities, citing charges including dereliction of duty. The insurrection special counsel, established in June, has received and is investigating related cases transferred from the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, among others.

The special counsel plans to examine the circumstances surrounding the failure to appoint the justice candidates and the subsequent nominations during the investigation. This includes reviewing the decisions made by Han during his tenure as acting president.

In addition to this case, the special counsel intends to conclude as many cases as possible transferred from existing investigative agencies. Assistant Special Counsel Park stated, “After conducting necessary investigations, we will prosecute if there is sufficient evidence or conclude the cases if there is none.”

The investigation period for the insurrection special counsel will end on the 14th of next month. During this time, the team will continue to review all relevant cases and gather evidence to ensure accountability for any alleged misconduct. The outcome of these investigations could have significant implications for the political landscape and the integrity of judicial appointments in the country.