President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday retracted his decision to appoint Jeon Hyo-sook as the country's first female chief of the Constitutional Court, presidential spokesman Yoon Tae-young said.
"President Roh received a request from Jeon Monday afternoon that her nomination as the Constitutional Court chief be nullified and decided to accept her request," Yoon told reporters.
On Aug. 16, President Roh nominated Jeon, the only female justice of the nine-member Constitutional Court, to become the court's new chief.
In a breach of the Constitution, however, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae had Jeon resign as a Constitutional Court justice to help her serve the full six-year tenure as the head of the court. Jeon has already served as Constitutional Court justice for three years and her nomination, if approved by the parliament, could have meant that Jeon would be the chief of the court for only three years.
Due to her resignation, Jeon underwent the Assembly confirmation hearing as a civilian, triggering protests from the opposition parties, particularly the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP). The Constitution stipulates that the head of the Constitutional Court shall be picked from among incumbent Constitutional Court justices.
Citing the unconstitutionality surrounding Jeon's nomination, the GNP has been calling for Roh's nullification of Jeon's nomination or her voluntary withdrawal from the process.
Cheong Wa Dae already apologized in the middle of September for causing a controversy over Jeon's nomination.
Seoul, Nov. 27 (Yonhap News)
President Roh repeals appointment of new Constitutional Court head |
