(LEAD) Parliament approves three Constitutional Court justice candidates

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SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the confirmation motions for three Constitutional Court justice nominees following the nine-member panel's monthlong vacancy.

Parliament held a plenary session to vote on the proposals for the three candidates -- incumbent judges Kim Ki-young, Lee Jong-seok and Lee Young-jin -- one day after rival parties made a bipartisan agreement to put them up for a vote.

Earlier in the day, lawmakers adopted hearing reports on the nominees in a procedural step for parliamentary consent. They were recommended by the ruling and two opposition parties for the posts.

Last month, parliament held confirmation hearings for them, but it failed to adopt hearing reports amid partisan bickering over the nominees' qualifications.

Earlier, opposition parties objected to the nomination of Kim Ki-young and Lee Jong-seok, citing ethical lapses that include false registrations of their family members' home addresses. Kim and Lee were recommended by the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, respectively.

On the panel's vacancy, President Moon Jae-in said last week that the National Assembly's failure to handle their confirmation is hampering people's constitutional rights.

In South Korea, the president, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court chief justice nominate three Constitutional Court justices each. The nomination of the chief justice requires parliamentary endorsement.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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