The issue of appointing Ma Eun-hyeok as a Constitutional Court judge has resurfaced as a political flashpoint. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo remained silent on March 31, a day before the April 1 deadline set by the main opposition Democratic Party.
A senior government official stated regarding the appointment of candidate Ma, “There is no position to convey to the media.” A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office explained, “Acting President Han has not told anything about the matter to the working-level staff.”
In political circles, many view Han’s silence as a refusal to appoint. It signifies adherence to the principle of “bipartisan agreement” previously set as a condition for appointment. Although the Constitutional Court ruled that “deferring the appointment is unconstitutional,” the timing was not specified, leading to speculation that the appointment could be postponed until after the verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial. The opposition suggests that if candidate Ma is not appointed by April 1, they may pursue re-impeachment of Acting President Han.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, stated on March 30, “If Acting President Han fails to fulfill the constitutional duty (of appointing Ma Eun-hyeok as a Constitutional Court judge) by April 1, the Democratic Party will make a significant decision.” This remark is interpreted as initiating re-impeachment procedures against Han. Park also stated, “The Democratic Party will exercise all the powers given.”
Particularly on April 1, Han may exercise a veto against the Commercial Act amendment proposed by the Democratic Party, potentially leading to an outburst of heightened voices from the opposition. Han is expected to review and decide on the Commercial Act amendment at the Cabinet meeting on April 1. If he exercises the veto, there is a high possibility that the political situation will freeze again as the Democratic Party, which pushed through the amendment, protests.
However, if Lee Bok-hyun, the governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, expresses opposition to Han’s veto, the timing of the veto could be delayed until April 4.
The opposition continued its pressure. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, stated, “The non-appointment of candidate Ma by Acting President Han and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok is something that should not happen,” adding, “We must hold them accountable for the resulting confusion.” This is interpreted as hinting at a dual impeachment of Han and Choi. However, this poses a significant risk for the opposition, as there is considerable public criticism against pursuing an impeachment motion for the same reason just eight days after Han’s return.
The Democratic Party discussed the April extraordinary session schedule, including the plenary session necessary for impeachment proceedings, at a meeting of floor leaders presided over by Speaker Woo Won-shik, but failed to narrow differences. While hardliners in the Democratic Party expressed their intention for a “mass impeachment of ministers,” the party leadership maintained a distance. The hardliners call for a successive impeachment of ministers Democratic lawmakers are pushing to continue impeaching ministers until the Cabinet meeting cannot be held due to a lack of quorums.
Meanwhile, Acting President Han Duck-soo rejected a meeting request from Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, on March 31, stating that he would meet Lee only after addressing urgent livelihood issues such as the trade war originating from the United States and support measures for wildfire victims.
The Prime Minister’s Office said, “Acting President Han is prioritizing state affairs, including responding to imminent tariff impositions and directing support measures for displaced elderly citizens,” adding, “We will review meeting requests from opposition figures after addressing issues directly related to the national economy and livelihood.”
Han Min-soo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, met with reporters at the National Assembly on this day and stated, “Leader Lee made two phone calls and sent one text message to Acting President Han today, expressing an urgent desire to meet, but Han did not respond at all.”
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