[On-site Video+] Han Deok-soo, "Pending the appointment of a constitutional judge until the ruling-opposition party agreement is reached"

[Anchor]
Acting President Han Deok-soo will deliver a public statement.

In a little while, the National Assembly's plenary session is set to vote on the approval of three constitutional judges recommended by the National Assembly.

In the meantime, attention is being paid to what position the opposition party will express on its demand for appointment.

Let's go to the scene.

[Han Deok-soo / Acting President and Prime Minister]
My fellow citizens! I feel heavy because I made the people worry about the country's affairs to the people who need to finish the year calmly and start the new year. Now, Korea is experiencing difficulties like never before. As acting president and national prime minister, I think it is my last duty to do my best to ensure that the safety of the country and the daily lives of the people are not shaken at all while we are dealing with this difficulty.

To that end, we will only look at the people and judge all issues for the future of the country as a whole according to the Constitution and laws. My fellow citizens. I am here today to tell you my concerns about the appointment of a constitutional judge, which the people are deeply interested in. Looking back on the path our country has taken so far, we have always crossed and crossed even if something bigger happens. One of the forces that made that possible was the power of politics. Although Korea has suffered many tragedies due to ideological confrontation, there have always been politicians beside us who think about the whole country beyond the advantages and disadvantages of the camp. I think we came this far because there were big adults who solved what had to be solved with politics.

Although we are in a lot of conflict today, I firmly believe that politicians from the ruling and opposition parties, including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, People's Power emergency committee chairman nominee Kwon Young-se, and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, will and should show such leadership. Unfortunately, our country is already experiencing its third acting presidential system. The consistent spirit of our Constitution and law is that the acting president should focus on stable state administration so that the country can overcome the crisis, but refrain from exercising the president's own authority, including the appointment of constitutional institutions.

If this power must be exercised inevitably, I think it is a custom that has never been broken in our constitutional history that the ruling and opposition parties reach an agreement first at the National Assembly, the representative of the people. Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn also did not appoint a constitutional judge before the Constitutional Court's decision, according to the principle that he does not make appointments that affect the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach him, but appointed him after the Constitutional Court's decision. The reason why the process of consensus between the ruling and opposition parties is essential before the acting president exercises the president's critical right is that the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, the representative of the people, is the last bank to secure democratic legitimacy and bring about national unity when legal interpretation is mixed and division and conflict are severe, but there is no room to wait for judicial judgment.

My fellow citizens. I am deeply aware of the anxiety and anger that our people are feeling because of this incident. I don't think many people will disagree that one of the critical issues that must be resolved urgently for the prompt resolution of the situation and stable state administration is the recruitment of judges of the Constitutional Court. Some people are asking what's wrong with the appointment when the public is angry.Unfortunately, my concern is that the answer to this problem cannot be determined so easily. The Constitutional Judge has a heavy role and responsibility as a constitutional institution specified in the Constitution. Looking back on our history, the weight of the position is evidenced by the fact that there was not a single constitutional judge appointed without an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties.

In particular, this is the time when a fair trial that determines the fate and history of the country depends on the Constitutional Court. There must be a smart solution to the composition of the Constitutional Court and the appointment of constitutional judges that the reasonable people can accept without disagreement. Regarding the recruitment of constitutional judges, the ruling and opposition parties took a different position until just a month ago, and at this moment, they are in opposition. In this situation, the opposition party is pressuring the acting president to exercise the president's unique authority of appointing a constitutional institution without an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. If this situation continues, unless an inevitable emergency occurs, the acting president may undermine another basic principle of our constitutional order to refrain from exercising the president's own authority and focus only on stable state administration. My fellow citizens. As acting president and prime minister, I only look at the people and judge for the future of the country in accordance with the Constitution and laws, and I sincerely believe that individual actions or interests are not important.

I sincerely tell the ruling and opposition parties once again. The United States has been on the verge of impeachment for more than 200 years since its foundation, and Korea is already experiencing its third acting presidential system in more than 70 years. Until now, I have been listening to a wide range of left and right journalists, constitutional scholars, and political scientists as well as ruling and opposition politicians on the appointment of constitutional judges. The duty that I feel most serious about is whether it is in line with our constitutional order for the acting president to make a political decision without political consensus between the ruling and opposition parties.

It's hard for me to agree with you to come to a conclusion without finding a proper answer to these concerns. Also, I don't think finding the right answer is necessarily a long time-consuming task. Looking back on how our country came to this point, there were senior generations behind us who made more difficult decisions and sacrifices than us in more difficult situations than us. This is especially true in the field of politics. As a young economic official, I felt the power of the Republic of Korea, watching our people sweating in the Middle East and Germany, Korean companies writing export myths in poor Korea, citizens and intellectuals working for democratization, and political giants who sometimes insist on and sometimes compromise for the country on both sides of the ruling and opposition parties, and I made a determination to throw myself to work.

As acting prime minister, I sincerely ask that politicians of the ruling and opposition parties, including distinguished National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, People's Power Emergency Committee Chairman Kwon Young-se, and Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, show their wisdom and courage beyond those of the previous generation of politicians for the next generation of Koreans watching you now. I will hold off on the appointment of a constitutional judge until the ruling and opposition parties agree and submit the proposal. If the ruling and opposition parties agree and submit the proposal, we will appoint a constitutional judge immediately. Thank you.