[News Today] ACTING PRES. DEFERS NAMING JUDGES

[LEAD]
Acting President Han Duck-soo has declared that he will suspend the appointment of Constitutional Court justices until a bipartisan agreement is achieved. He made the announcement moments before the scheduled confirmation vote, emphasizing that such significant presidential powers require cross-party consensus.

[REPORT]
Just thirty minutes before Constitutional Court justices were to be elected at the general assembly, acting President Han Duck-soo walked into the press room.

Han Duck-soo / Acting President
I stand here to tell you candidly about the concerns I have over the appointment of Constitutional Court judges.

He concluded that he will defer the appointment of court justices until the two sides come to an agreement and that he believed it was right to refrain from exercising president's significant inherent power such as Constitutional Court justice appointment.

Han Duck-soo / Acting President
It is the spirit of the Constitution and law to focus on running state stably while refraining from exercising an inherent power.

He maintained that bipartisan consensus is required to unavoidably exercise a president's 'significant power'.

But the ruling and opposition sides have changed their stances and are now in direct conflict again, making it difficult for him to meet the opposition party's demands.

The acting president also said that parliamentary discussion is necessary given the Constitutional Court judges' immense responsibilities and the fairness of impeachment trials.

Han Duck-soo / Acting President
A wise solution about the composition of Constitutional Court, the appointment of court justices that rational people can accept without disagreement is needed.

He then asked National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik and legislators of both sides to demonstrate the leadership similar to that of senior statesmen who had compromised beyond party lines.

The Office of the Prime Minister defined the passing of the special counsel bill and the appointment of Constitutional Court judges as 'political issues' and has been asking the National Assembly to come up with a solution.