The broader opposition bloc is pushing legislative amendments to expand the pool of Constitutional Court justices — currently restricted to legal professionals — to include constitutional researchers, law professors, and other non-legal experts, while also diversifying the composition of Supreme Court justice candidates by gender and age. Following the introduction of the "second judicial reform package" centered on banning preferential treatment for former judges, observers say a "third judicial reform package" discussion could also gain momentum.
According to political sources on Monday, independent lawmaker Choi Hyuk-jin has been confirmed to be seeking signatures from Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers for co-sponsorship of proposed amendments to the Constitutional Court Act and the Court Organization Act containing these provisions. Some pro-opposition lawmakers are known to have expressed their consent.
The core of the amendments is to broaden the qualifications for Constitutional Court justices. Under current law, justices may only be appointed from individuals with at least 15 years of experience as judges, prosecutors, or attorneys. The proposed revision would expand eligibility to include constitutional researchers and professors with substantial practical experience in constitutional matters. Choi's office explained that if adopted, the amendments would ensure greater diversity in legal reasoning at the Constitutional Court.
The bill also seeks to diversify the composition of Supreme Court justice candidates. Given that more than 80 percent of Supreme Court justices historically have been graduates of Seoul National University's law school, the aim is to prevent the bench from becoming "their exclusive club." The amendments call for the Supreme Court Justice Recommendation Committee to broaden the range of candidates in terms of gender, age, and other demographic factors when making recommendations. "The recommendation committee exists, but when you actually look at the list of nominees, most are confined to Seoul National University law school graduates," Choi said. "We need to prevent people with a specific educational background from building a fortress."
Choi introduced the "second judicial reform package" on May 10. Its centerpiece is a new provision restricting top legal officials — including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Supreme Court justices, the President of the Constitutional Court, Constitutional Court justices, and the Prosecutor General — from opening private law practices for a set period after retirement. The measure would bar senior legal officials from practicing law for three years after leaving office, thereby reducing the influence they could exert over cases they handled before retirement. It also extends the restriction period for attorneys who retired from posts as ordinary judges, prosecutors, or military legal officers from taking on government-related cases from the current one year to two years. "Preferential treatment for former judges is not custom — it is corruption; it is not courtesy — it is privilege," Choi said at the time.