Lee Heung-gu (57, 22nd Judicial Research and Training Institute) was selected as the candidate for the successor of Supreme Justice Kwon Soon-il, who will retire next month.

The Supreme Court said today (10th) that Supreme Court Chief Kim Myung-soo selected Judge Lee from among the three new Supreme Court candidates recommended by the Supreme Judge Candidate Recommendation Committee and proposed an appointment to President Moon Jae-in.

When President Moon accepts the request for appointment by the Chief Justice and submits the motion to the National Assembly, the Deputy Judge Lee must go through a personnel hearing.

Previously, the Supreme Court Candidate Recommendation Committee recommended three candidates, including Chief Justice Lee, Seoul High Court Chief Judge Dae-yeop Cheon, and Seoul Administrative Court Chief Bae Bae-Yeol, as candidates for the new Supreme Court proposal.

The Supreme Court evaluated this candidate as "having the basic qualities he must have as a Supreme Justice, such as independence of the judiciary, guaranteeing the basic rights of the people, and a firm belief in protecting the socially weak and minority."

Candidate Lee is a person who was convicted of violating the National Security Law while attending Seoul National University, passed the bar exam in 1990, and became the topic of'Judge for Violation of the National Treasure Law'.

He was imprisoned in 1985 in the case of the Seoul National University Democratization Promotion Committee (so-called flag case) and was charged with violating the National Security Law (anti-state group encouragement) and was sentenced to two years in prison and three years probation.

Until now, it is said that no candidate with a history of conviction for violating the National Security Law has been proposed or appointed as the Supreme Judge.