(LEAD) Parliament passes confirmation of Constitutional Court chief justice

▲ Constitutional Court Justice Lee Jong-seok arrives for work at the court in Seoul on Nov. 28, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) parliament-Constitutional Court chief

(LEAD) Parliament passes confirmation of Constitutional Court chief justice

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in paras 3, 6-7; CHANGES photo)

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly passed the confirmation motion for the nominee for Constitutional Court president, Lee Jong-seok, on Thursday, filling the vacancy in the nine-member panel.

A plenary session was convened by the parliament to vote on the proposal for Lee, a Constitutional Court justice, 21 days after the retirement of the former chief, Yoo Nam-seok.

Later in the day, President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the motion, the presidential office said.

Yoon appointed Lee as the new chief last month, but the parliamentary confirmation hearing for Lee experienced delays.

Since 2006, no Constitutional Court president has taken office on time. When Yoo's predecessor Lee Jin-sung took office in 2018, the court president seat had been left vacant for 296 days.

Justice Lee Jong-seok has been serving on the nine-member bench since 2018. He previously served as a senior judge at the Seoul High Court and chief of the Suwon District Court, among other positions.

Lee entered Seoul National University School of Law in 1979 at the same time as Yoon.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved