Lee Jong-seok, candidate for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. /yunhap news
Regarding his close relationship with President Yoon Seok-yeol, Lee Jong-seok, candidate for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, said, “I will carry out my duties to ensure that my friendly relationship with the President does not affect the independence of the judiciary.”
Candidate Lee stated this in a written response submitted to the National Assembly on the 11th.
Candidate Lee briefly defined his relationship with President Yoon as ‘a classmate in the Class of ’79 at Seoul National University Law School.’ When asked when and where he had a private meeting with President Yoon, he said, “I do not have a private meeting,” and added, “However, we exchanged greetings when President Yoon visited the Constitutional Court as a courtesy after taking office as Prosecutor General, and this year, when President Yoon’s father died, he said, “I went to pay condolences as a group with my college classmates,” he said. He also added, “I have not received any direct contact from President Yoon before nomination.”
Candidate Lee responded to the evaluation of his conservative tendencies in principle by saying, “I dare say that I approached the trial solely in accordance with the Constitution, the law, and the objective conscience of the judge, and I will continue to approach the trial with the same attitude.” Regarding the ‘impeachment of prosecutors’ recently promoted by the Democratic Party, he refrained from saying anything, saying, “Please understand that it is not appropriate to reveal specific opinions about the case currently under trial.”
Regarding the fact that Candidate Lee himself made false transfers three times and his spouse twice in the past, he said, “I have never made fake transfers for the purpose of real estate speculation,” but added, “Regardless of the reason, I recognize it as an inappropriate act and offer my apology.” This candidate registered under false pretense in 1982, 1988, and 1993, and his spouse registered in 1993 and 1996, respectively. Candidate Lee gave explanations such as ‘I was not aware of the fake transfer as it was done to purchase land by my father’ (1982) and ‘I reported a transfer to my sister-in-law’s house to sign up for a housing subscription deposit ahead of my appointment to Seoul’ (1988). It has been done.
When asked about his position on the pardon of former Gangseo-gu mayor Kim Tae-woo, candidate Lee said, “The right to pardon is the president’s inherent authority as stipulated in the Constitution, so it is not appropriate for me as a candidate for the head of the Constitutional Court to comment on this in detail,” adding, “In principle, the effect of the criminal trial is He said, “It is desirable that the exclusionary amnesty system be used in a supplementary and exceptional manner in accordance with its purpose and be harmonized with the role of the judiciary.”
Regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage, candidate Lee said, “Even if homosexuality falls within the realm of sexual self-determination or freedom of private life, it can be restricted to the extent necessary for national security, maintenance of order, and public welfare,” and “The marriage and family system can be restricted.” “I think a decision should be made carefully through national consensus, comprehensively considering all circumstances, including the sound maintenance and development of the government,” he said.
When asked about his thoughts on the death penalty, he said, “At the hearing for candidates for the Constitutional Court in 2018, I said, ‘Like other punishments, I think there is a reason why it has continued to exist. “However, if absolute life imprisonment without parole or commutation is introduced, the abolition of the death penalty system can be considered,” he said. “As the unconstitutionality of the death penalty system is currently under review, it is not appropriate to reveal any more specific opinions.”
He said, “I think that the ‘life sentence without parole’ that was recently passed by the Cabinet meeting requires careful review of its effectiveness, public sentiment on the law, and constitutional permissibility.”
Regarding the October 29 Itaewon disaster, candidate Lee said, “It is the natural duty of the nation under the Constitution to do our best to prevent such a thing from happening again,” but with regard to the National Assembly’s impeachment of Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min, he said, “It is a normative duty.” “From that perspective, I thought it would be difficult to hold the respondent (Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min) responsible.”
Previously, the Constitutional Court dismissed the petition for impeachment against Minister Lee with a unanimous opinion of the judges.
Candidate Lee’s personnel hearing will be held on the 13th.
2023-11-12 05:56:06
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