President Lee Approves Appointment of Supreme Court Justice Kim Seong-su... Just One Day After Confirmation Motion Passed

Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced to the media on the afternoon of the 18th that President Lee Jae-myung had granted final approval for the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Kim Seong-su earlier that day.

President Lee's approval comes just one day after the National Assembly passed the motion confirming the appointment of Kim in a plenary session. With this, Justice Kim becomes the first Supreme Court Justice to take office since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration. His term is six years.

President Lee Jae-myung is answering reporters' questions at a press conference held on the 18th at the State Guest House of Cheongwadae. September 18, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Previously, on the 17th, the National Assembly tabled the confirmation motion for Justice Kim in a plenary session, approving it with 227 votes in favor out of a total of 268 votes. In accordance with the Constitution, a confirmation motion for a Supreme Court Justice must be passed by a majority of all lawmakers present at a session attended by more than half the members of the National Assembly.

Justice Kim was nominated by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on August 18 as a successor to Justice Lee Heung-gu and was recommended to President Lee Jae-myung for appointment. The National Assembly held a confirmation hearing for Kim on the 14th, and on the 16th, in a general meeting, adopted the confirmation hearing report on Kim through a bipartisan agreement.

The confirmation hearing report included both a qualified opinion from the Democratic Party of Korea and an unqualified opinion from the People Power Party. However, before the plenary session, the People Power Party decided to implement a free vote regarding Kim’s appointment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.