With 118 votes in favor, 175 against and 2 abstentions
A motion at the National Assembly to appoint Lee Kyun-yong as Chief Justice was rejected by the National Assembly on today (October 6) at the initiatives of the main opposition Democratic Party.
This is the first time a Supreme Court nominee has not been approved by the National Assembly since Chung Eui-seung in 1988 during the Roh Tae-woo government. This is the first time in 35 years that a vacancy at the top of the judiciary has been realized.
In the plenary session of the National Assembly, the nomination was voted down with 118 votes in favor, 175 against, and two abstentions out of 295 votes cast. Assembly members from the main opposition Democratic Party and the splinter progressive Justice Party are seen to be the main opponents.
The rejection of the Supreme Court nominee was led by the Democrats, who hold a majority of the 168-seat National Assembly.
Many Democratic Party lawmakers, including members of the Special Committee on the Nominee's Confirmation hearing, are known to have indicated that “it was too burdensome to vote on a party line to reject the candidate but the party leadership wished the rejection and that they had no other choice but to follow their wishes.”