Seoul Assembly Rejects Justice Nominee

The National Assembly on Saturday rejected President Roh Tae Woo’s choice for chief justice, the first such refusal in South Korea’s history.

It was also the first major test of power in the new, opposition-controlled Parliament. All past Assemblies have been controlled by the governing party.

The leadership of the governing Democratic Justice Party, including its chairman Yoon Giel Joong and floor leader Kim Yoon Hwan, offered to resign after the vote. The offer was rejected.

Narrow Margin

Roh’s nomination of Chung Ki Sung as chief justice of South Korea’s highest court failed by a narrow margin. Chung received 141 votes, seven short of the majority required for approval. There were 295 lawmakers present of the 299 members.

Six voted against Chung, and 134, mostly from the two major opposition parties headed by Kim Dae Jung and Kim Young Sam, abstained in a coordinated anti-government gesture. Fourteen votes were determined to be invalid.

It was the first serious setback for Roh in the National Assembly since he took office Feb. 25 with a narrow victory in December presidential elections. Roh’s government lost its parliamentary majority in elections in April.

Chung, 60, was named a Supreme Court judge in 1986 after serving in various judicial posts for 29 years. Opponents consider him too pro-government, and an anti-Chung campaign spread rapidly after his nomination was announced Thursday. More than 300 lawyers and judge trainees signed statements against the nomination.

Denounced as ‘Undemocratic’

The Democratic Justice Party said it regretted the outcome of Saturday’s vote and called the opposition’s mass absention “undemocratic.” Government officials said Roh will name a new nominee soon.

The largest opposition grouping, the Party for Peace and Democracy, led by Kim Dae Jung, termed the outcome “fortunate” and called on Roh to nominate a chief justice who enjoys public confidence in his ability to achieve judicial independence.

Kim Young Sam’s Reunification Democratic Party hailed the vote as “a great victory of our people.”

The Korea Bar Assn. also welcomed the outcome and said the new nominee should be someone who has not been associated with past authoritarian governments.

The top judiciary post has been vacant since June 17, when Kim Yong Chul resigned under pressure from hundreds of junior judges who demanded democratic reforms in the judiciary.

The outcome of Saturday’s vote came as a surprise because the government party had been confident that it could muster enough votes with the help of a conservative opposition group.

Former Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil’s New Democratic Republican Party had publicly endorsed Roh’s nomination, but some of its 35 lawmakers voted against Chung.

Also on Saturday, the National Assembly approved former lawyer Kim Young Jun as the chief government auditor. The nomination was passed 154 to 10, with 131 abstentions and one invalid vote.