Seoul High Court Judge Lee Gyun-ryong named as new chief justice

Seoul High Court Judge Lee Gyun-ryong [Photo by Yonhap]

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday named Seoul High Court Judge Lee Gyun-ryong as the new Supreme Court chief justice. The appointment is expected to shake up the judiciary after Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, who was appointed by former President Moon Jae-in, retires next month.

Yoon’s nomination was announced by Kim Dae-ki, chief of staff to the president, at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. Lee, who is considered a conservative judge, was one of Yoon‘s first candidates to be appointed to the Supreme Court last year.

Born in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, and a graduate of Seoul National University, Lee was appointed as a member of the 16th class of the Judicial Research & Training Institute and served as a research judge at the Supreme Court, a presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, and a chief judge at the Seoul Southern District Court and Daejeon High Court.

When appointed, Lee would be the second person to become a chief justice without serving as a Supreme Court justice after Kim.

In the past, it was customary to appoint the chief justice among those serving on the Supreme Court, but this practice was broken in 2017 when former President Moon nominated Kim, who was then the chief judge of the Chuncheon District Court.

According to the Court Organization Act, the Supreme Court chief justice is appointed by the president after the National Assembly holds a hearing on the candidate and the plenary session of the National Assembly votes on the appointment motion.

Meanwhile, Bang Moon-kyu, Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, was nominated as the minister of trade, industry and energy.

Bang served as second vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

Bang Ki-sun, first vice minister of the Trade Ministry, has been nominated as minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination.