The Supreme Court of Korea [Seoul=Yonhap News] 

Twenty-seven legal professionals from the Seoul National University College of Law's class of '76 issued a joint statement on the 3rd, criticizing President Lee Jae-myung’s demand for the re-nomination of a Supreme Court Justice candidate.

In their statement, they pointed out, "It is unjust for the President to refuse to submit to the National Assembly the appointment motion for a Supreme Court Justice candidate lawfully nominated by the Chief Justice, and instead demand the re-nomination of a different candidate."

They further criticized the move, stating, "The President’s power of appointment is a power exercised over a person nominated by the Chief Justice. If the President rejects other candidates due to a preference for a specific individual until that person is nominated, the President is, in effect, monopolizing both the power of nomination and the power of appointment."

Furthermore, they emphasized, "While judicial reform is necessary and the diversity of the Supreme Court's composition should be expanded, judicial reform and judicial control are two different things. True reform lies in ensuring checks and balances so that no particular president or political party can dominate the judiciary at will."

They urged, "The President must respect the Chief Justice’s power of nomination and cease forcing re-nominations that have no basis in the Constitution, and the Democratic Party must stop attempting to justify the President’s refusal of nomination after the fact or pursuing legislation that would effectively diminish the Chief Justice’s power of nomination."

Regarding Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, they also demanded, "Do not waver under any political pressure; firmly uphold the power of nomination for Supreme Court Justices and the independence of the judiciary granted by the Constitution."

The statement was signed by notable figures including Kim Hyun, former President of the Korean Bar Association; Cho Dae-hwan, former Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs; Shim Kyu-chul, former Grand National Party lawmaker; and Lee Choong-sang, former Standing Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.