December 18, 2024
Seoul– As South Korea’s Constitutional Court prioritizes impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Seok-yeol, concerns have surfaced about the role and potential influence of Chief Justice Chung Hyung-sik in Yoon’s trial.
Zheng, 63, was directly appointed by Yin in December last year for a six-year term.
Although the president does not appear to have a direct connection to justice, they do have a connection through Park Sun-young, chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Park Geun-hye was appointed by Yoon on December 6, three days after martial law was declared. Park Geun-hye is also Judge Chung’s sister-in-law, and her husband is former Supreme Court Justice Min Il-young.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Yoon for appointing Park Geun-hye. He suggested this could be an effort to avoid “bullets” ahead of the impeachment trial, emphasizing her ties to the judge.
Zheng is widely considered a conservative, and some critics believe the trial could be favorable to Yin.
In court, the Chief Justice is responsible for the entire process of a trial, including preparation of arguments and deliberations. He also drafted the original version of the court's decision.
Mr. Chung graduated from Seoul National University School of Law. After passing the bar examination in 1985, he served in various well-known positions such as chief judge of the Seoul Bankruptcy Court and chief judge of the Daejeon High Court.
Based on his past rulings, he is viewed as both a major jurist and a divisive figure.
His latest ruling includes rejecting the impeachment of Busan District Prosecutor's Office prosecutor Anton Wan, who was accused of retaliatory prosecution.
Zheng also ruled that imposing a comprehensive real estate tax on the owners of two houses in the controlled area was a violation of property rights.
Last year, Cheng Yuet-ngor called on the government to admit that its inadequate greenhouse gas reduction targets were unconstitutional, showing a willingness to hold the government accountable.
In 2015, Chung was selected as an “outstanding judge” in a survey conducted by the Seoul Bar Association.
At the same time, the Constitutional Court stressed that the role of the Chief Justice “will not affect the speed or direction of the trial, as all six judges will participate in the trial”.
News reports that Zheng was appointed chief justice were kept confidential and there was no formal confirmation or denial.
“We have no special reason to disclose the identity of the chief justice,” Moon Hyung-bae, acting president of the Constitutional Court, said in a statement on Monday.
The court does not mandate disclosure of the chief justice, who is chosen by random drawing. Four judges were involved in the draw this time because two others were already presiding over other trials. In 2017, the court disclosed the chief justice in the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye, citing the “seriousness of the issue.”
The Constitutional Court set the first preliminary hearing date as December 27, only 13 days after receiving the impeachment resolution from Congress. This rapid schedule reflects the court's approach compared with previous impeachment cases, such as those involving former presidents Roh Moo-hyun (2004) and Park Geun-hye (2016), which took 18 days and 13 days respectively to begin the first round of impeachment.
