A sitting senior judge on Tuesday publicly opposed the appointment of President Park Geun-hye’s defense chief nominee through a social networking site, raising questions over his moral standards.
Choi Eun-bae of the Seoul Eastern District Court said on his Facebook page that it would be best not to name Kim Byung-kwan, who has been accused of various ethical lapses, as the country’s next minister of defense.
“An honorable person should be appointed as the head (of the military) to inspire respect and voluntary obedience from its group. However, the current administration seems to be lacking in that thinking,” the 47-year-old judge said.
Kim has been accused of using information gained during his past military career for personal gain.
Choi, while working at a district court in the western port city of Incheon, previously criticized the passage of a bill on the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement on his Facebook page in 2011.
The Supreme Court at the time set new guidelines for judges using SNS that advised them to avoid from participating in social debates and to maintain their dignity as judges.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary committee on Monday failed to adopt a report needed for the National Assembly to approve the nominee as ruling and opposition party lawmakers disagreed over Kim’s eligibility as minister. (Yonhap News)
