Chief justice nominee leans toward right

President Lee Myung-bak’s nominee for Supreme Court chief justice is expected to bring the court’s political pendulum considerably to the right as he takes over from his liberal predecessor.

Yang Sung-tae, who served as justice of the top court from 2005 to 2011 February, was named the new chief late Thursday. Upon the announcement, the presidential office called him a “respectable, stable and consistent” figure with the right visions toward reforms and democracy. 

Yang, 63, humbly said he was “still in wonder” as to whether he is the right man for the position.

“But I should do my best as the dice has been thrown,” he told a group of reporters.

Once the nomination is approved by parliament, Yang will replace the incumbent Lee Yong-hoon for six years.

Born in the southeastern city of Busan, Yang graduated from Seoul National University’s law school in 1970 and passed the national bar exam in the same year.

Following a mandatory two-year course at the Judicial Research and Training Center, he joined the judicial branch in 1972 and went on to spend most of his career as a judge at district courts until being appointed to head the Patent Court in 2003.

After ending his term as a Supreme Court justice in February this year, Yang didn’t join a law firm or open his own firm, instead traveling to the Himalayas and the Rockies before coming home recently.

“My dream is to travel around the world on a Harley Davidson,” the veteran justice had said shortly before his retirement, which led to speculation that he would turn down the chief justice position if offered.

Not wanting to return to court, Yang had turned down the nomination several times, according to political insiders.

Cheong Wa Dae thus also considered Mok Young-joon, a justice at the Constitutional Court, and Park Ill-hoan, a Supreme Court justice, as possible candidates, but kept coming back to Yang, because of his broad experience, proven integrity and conservative tendencies.

With his rightist beliefs, Yang ruled against pro-North Korea entities and labor activists while serving as the Supreme Court justice. But the well-reputed ex-justice also revealed liberal tendencies, especially in human rights cases, by ruling against Korea’s traditional patriarchal family system and excessive police crackdown during demonstrations.

Yang will be given the authority to recommend new Supreme Court justices to replace the six outgoing judges among the 13-member judiciary this year, which will likely change the overall tendency of the court.

The incoming chief justice will also face the responsibility of balancing out expected tensions with existing attorneys, prosecutors and judges with the nation’s first law school graduates.

Ongoing power struggle between the court and prosecution over arrest warrants, and other judicial reforms issues are also on the table for Yang to solve.

By Shin Hae-in (hayney@heraldcorp.com)