Lee Jong-seok (judge)

For other people named Lee Jong-seok, see Lee Jong-seok (disambiguation).

Honorable Lee Jong-seok
이종석
Official portrait, 2018
8th President of the Constitutional Court of Korea
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 November 2023
Appointed by	Yoon Suk Yeol
Preceded by	Yoo Nam-seok
Justice of the Constitutional Court of Korea
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 October 2018
Nominated by	Liberty Korea Party
Appointed by	Moon Jae-in
Preceded by	Ahn Chang-ho
Personal details
Born	(1961-02-21) 21 February 1961 (age 63) Chilgok, South Korea
Education	Seoul National University School of Law (LL.B.)
Occupation	Judge
Military service
Allegiance	Republic of Korea
Branch/service	Republic of Korea Army
Years of service	1986–1989
Rank	First lieutenant (Judge advocate)

Lee Jong-seok (Korean: 이종석; Hanja: 李悰錫 born 21 February 1961) is the 8th President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in November 2023.

Life and career

Lee was born on 21 February 1961 in Chilgok, South Korea. He graduated Kyeongbuk High School and Seoul National University School of Law, passed 25th National bar exam, and completed 15th Judicial Research and Training Institute program. He started his legal career as trial court judge at Incheon District Court in 1989 after discharging from mandatory military service as judge advocate. During almost thirty years of his public service as lower ordinary court judge, he was renowned for expertise in affairs of court administration and litigations on bankruptcy.^[1]

Lee was nominated for Justice of the Constitutional Court of Korea in 2018, by Liberty Korea Party, which was major conservative party in South Korea. Following approval of the nomination in National Assembly, President Moon Jae-in appointed him as the Constitutional Court justice in October 2018.^[2]

As one of nine Justices in the Constitutional Court of Korea, Lee was famous for his conservative view, including against decriminalizing of abortion.^[3] This characteristic led President Yoon Suk Yeol to nominate him as candidate for President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, as successor of retiring 7th Constitutional Court president Yoo Nam-seok.^[4]

See also

• Constitutional Court of Korea
• President of the Constitutional Court of Korea

References

1. Son, Ji-hyoung (2023-10-18). "Yoon names Lee Jong-seok as Constitutional Court chief". The Korea Herald. Seoul. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
2. Kim, Sarah (2023-10-18). "Yoon nominates Lee Jong-seok as next chief of Constitutional Court". Korea JoongAng Daily. Seoul. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
3. Ser, Myo-Ja (2019-04-11). "Constitutional Court strikes down 66-year ban on abortion". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2024-02-05. Two judges, Cho Yong-ho and Lee Jong-seok, disagreed. They said the abortion ban is constitutional, saying the right to life of a fetus must be protected as much as any newborn. They said there will be more abortions unless the practice is punished, and it is impossible to come up with other measures to protect fetuses.
4. Lee, Haye-ah (2023-10-18). "Yoon names new president of Constitutional Court". Yonhap News Agency. Seoul. Retrieved 2023-12-08.

External links

• Constitutional Court of Korea English webpage > Justices

Legal offices
Preceded by Ahn Chang-ho	Justice of the Constitutional Court of Korea 2018–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Yoo Nam-seok	President of the Constitutional Court of Korea 2023–present	Incumbent