The Constitutional Court of Korea is one of two highest courts in the court system of South Korea. It is composed of nine Constitutional Court justices (). One of the nine justices serves as the chief justice, officially titled the President of the Constitutional Court. The number of Constitutional Court justices is specified in Article 111 Clause 2 of the Constitution of South Korea.
By Article 111 Clause 2 of the constitution, all of the Constitutional Court justices are appointed by the president of South Korea. However, following Article 111 Clause 3 of the constitution, three of the Constitutional Court justices should be appointed from candidates selected by the National Assembly, and another three should be appointed from candidates nominated by the Supreme Court chief justice. Thus, only three of nine Constitutional Court justices are directly appointed by the president of South Korea. They serve for a renewable six-year term under Article 112 Clause 1 of the constitution. All but two justices retired without renewing the term, citing the potential harm to judicial independence and outsize influence of the president of South Korea on the Constitutional Court.
According to Article 5 Clause 1 of the Constitutional Court Act, Constitutional Court justices should be at least 40 years old, qualified as an attorney, and have more than 15 years of career in legal practice or legal academia.
Current members
This table lists current justices in Constitutional Court of Korea.
NameTenure / Current LengthAppointed bySelected·Nominated byEducation / Chief Justice (Kim Myeong-soo)Seoul National University / Chief Justice (Kim Myeong-soo) / (Directly by President of South Korea) / Chief Justice (Cho Hee-dae) Cho Hanchang / National Assembly (People Power Party) Chung Kyesun / National Assembly (Democratic Party)Ma Eunhyeok / Han Duck-soo National Assembly (Democratic Party) / (Directly by President of South Korea) / (Directly by President of South Korea)
Former justices This table lists former justices in the Constitutional Court of Korea. Since South Korea adopted American styled 3-year law school system for legal education in 2008, 'education' column of below table means where former justices received undergraduate degrees.
NameTenurePositionAppointed bySelected·Nominated byEducationCho Kyu-kwangSep. 1988 − Sep. 19941st PresidentRoh Tae-woo(Directly by President of South Korea)Seoul National UniversityLee Seong-yeolSep. 1988 − Aug. 1991JusticeChief JusticeLee Il-kyuChosun UniversityByun Jeong-sooSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994JusticeNational AssemblyPeace DemocraticKorea University (dropped out)Kim Chin-wooSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994JusticeJustice Kim Chin-woo is one of two Constitutional Justices who successfully renewed his term. Another is Justice Kim Moon-hee. This renewal of term is account of personal friendship between President Kim Young-sam and Justice Kim Chin-woo. See National AssemblyReunification DemocraticSeoul National UniversitySep. 1994 − Jan. 1997Kim Young-sam(Directly by President of South Korea)Han Byung-chaeSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994JusticeRoh Tae-wooNational AssemblyDemocratic JusticeSeoul National UniversityLee Shi-yoonSep. 1988 − Dec. 1993JusticeChief JusticeLee Il-kyuChoe Kwang-ryoolSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Kim Yang-kyunSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Chonnam National UniversityKim Moon-heeSep. 1988 − Sep. 1994JusticeJustice Kim Moon-hee is one of two Constitutional Justices who successfully renewed his term. Another is Justice Kim Chin-woo. This renewal of term is account of personal friendship between President Kim Young-sam and Justice Kim Moon-hee. After these two Constitutional Court Justices renewed their term, no Justice had tried to renew its term since it could harm independence of judiciary, as those special relationship between the President of South Korea and Constitutional Court Justice provoked social doubt on independence of the Court. See Chief JusticeLee Il-kyuSeoul National UniversitySep. 1994 − Sep. 2000Kim Young-sam(By consensus of National Assembly)Hwang Do-yunAug. 1991 − Aug. 1997JusticeRoh Tae-wooChief JusticeKim Deok-juSeoul National UniversityLee Jae-hwaDec. 1993 − Dec. 1999JusticeKim Young-samChief JusticeYun KwanKim Yong-joonSep. 1994 − Sep. 20002nd President(Directly by President of South Korea)Cho Seung-hyungSep. 1994 − Sep. 1999JusticeNational AssemblyDemocraticChung Kyung-sikSep. 1994 − Sep. 2000Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Korea UniversityKoh Joong-sukSep. 1994 − Sep. 2000JusticeChief JusticeYun KwanSeoul National UniversityShin Chang-onSep. 1994 − Sep. 2000JusticeNational AssemblyDemocratic LiberalLee Young-moJan. 1997 − Mar. 2001Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Pusan National UniversityHan Dae-hyunAug. 1997 − Aug. 2003JusticeChief JusticeYun KwanSeoul National UniversityHa Kyung-chulSep. 1999 − Jan. 2004JusticeKim Dae-jungNational AssemblyNew PoliticsKim Young-ilDec. 1999 − Mar. 2005JusticeChief JusticeChoi Jong-youngYun Young-chulSep. 2000 − Sep. 20063rd President(Directly by President of South Korea)Kwon SeongSep. 2000 − Aug. 2006JusticeNational AssemblyGrand NationalKim Hyo-jongSep. 2000 − Sep. 2006Justice(By consensus of National Assembly)Kim Kyoung-ilSep. 2000 − Sep. 2006JusticeChief JusticeChoi Jong-youngSong In-junSep. 2000 − Sep. 2006Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Choo Sun-hoeMar. 2001 − Mar. 2007Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Korea UniversityJeon Hyo-sookAug. 2003 − Aug. 2006JusticeRoh Moo-hyunChief JusticeChoi Jong-youngEwha Womans UniversityLee Sang-kyungFeb. 2004 − Jun. 2005JusticeNational AssemblyMillennium DemocraticChung-Ang UniversityLee Kong-hyunMar. 2005 − Mar. 2011JusticeChief JusticeChoi Jong-youngSeoul National UniversityCho Dae-hyenJul. 2005 − Jul. 2011JusticeNational AssemblyUriKim Hee-okSep. 2006 − Dec. 2010Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Dongguk UniversityKim Jong-daeSep. 2006 − Sep. 2012JusticeChief JusticeLee Yong-hoonSeoul National UniversityMin Hyeong-kiSep. 2006 − Sep. 2012JusticeChief JusticeLee Yong-hoonLee Dong-heubSep. 2006 − Sep. 2012JusticeNational AssemblyGrand NationalMok Young-joonSep. 2006 − Sep. 2012Justice(By consensus of National Assembly)Lee Kang-kookJan. 2007 − Jan. 20134th President(Directly by President of South Korea)Song Doo-hwanMar. 2007 − Mar. 2013Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Park Han-chulFeb. 2011 − Apr. 2013JusticeLee Myung-bak(Directly by President of South Korea)Apr. 2013 − Jan. 20175th PresidentPark Geun-hye(Directly by President of South Korea)Lee Jung-miMar. 2011 − Mar. 2017JusticeLee Myung-bakChief JusticeLee Yong-hoonKorea UniversityKim Yi-SuSep. 2012 − Sep. 2018JusticeNational AssemblyDemocratic UnitedSeoul National UniversityLee Jin-sungSep. 2012 − Nov. 2017JusticeChief JusticeYang Sung-taeNov. 2017 − Sep. 20186th PresidentMoon Jae-in(Directly by President of South Korea)Kim Chang-jongSep. 2012 − Sep. 2018JusticeLee Myung-bakChief JusticeYang Sung-taeKyungpook National UniversityAhn Chang-hoSep. 2012 − Sep. 2018JusticeNational AssemblySaenuriSeoul National UniversityKang Il-wonSep. 2012 − Sep. 2018Justice(By consensus of National Assembly)Seo Ki-seogApr. 2013 − Apr. 2019JusticePark Geun-hye(Directly by President of South Korea)Cho Yong-hoApr. 2013 − Apr. 2019Justice(Directly by President of South Korea)Konkuk UniversityMar. 2017 − Mar. 2023JusticeHwang Kyo-ahnChief JusticeYang Sung-taeSeoul National UniversityYoo Nam-seokNov. 2017 − Nov. 2023JusticeMoon Jae-in(Directly by President of South Korea)Sep. 2018 − Nov. 20237th President(Directly by President of South Korea)Lee Suk-taeSep. 2018 − Apr. 2023JusticeChief JusticeKim Myeong-sooLee EunaeSep. 2018 − Sep. 2024JusticeChief JusticeKim Myeong-sooLee JongseokOct. 2018 − Oct. 2024JusticeNational AssemblyLiberty KoreaNov. 2023 − Oct. 20248th President(Directly by President of South Korea) Lee YoungjinOct. 2018 − Oct. 2024JusticeMoon Jae-inNational Assembly BareunmiraeSungkyunkwan UniversityKim KiyoungOct. 2018 − Oct. 2024JusticeNational Assembly DemocraticSeoul National UniversityApr. 2019 − Apr. 2025JusticeMoon Jae-in(Directly by President of South Korea)Apr. 2019 − Apr. 2025JusticePusan National University
Timeline
Also see the "Chronological Table" tab for a timeline of Justices. Korean Former Justices list have exact dates of terms. Terms of Presidents are listed separately here.
See also Judiciary of South Korea Constitutional Court of Korea President of the Constitutional Court of Korea Lists of supreme court justices
Notes and references
External links