S. Korea's acting president approves appointment of 2 constitutional court justices

SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday approved the appointment of two of the three constitutional court justices who will fill vacancies on the nine-member bench for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial.

Choi told a televised cabinet meeting that volatility in the South Korean economy, sparked by the martial law imposition, expanded dramatically following the suspended appointment of the justices and the impeachment of then acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Choi, who is concurrently the minister of economy and finance, assumed the acting presidency on Dec. 27 after the impeachment of both President Yoon Suk-yeol and acting President Han.

Choi stressed that he decided to appoint the justice nominees on the urgency of ending political uncertainty and social conflict as soon as possible to prevent possible economic and people's livelihood crises.

Two of the three justices will be immediately appointed as the ruling and opposition parties are confirmed to have approached an agreement, but the remaining one will be appointed later when the rival parties reach an agreement, Choi noted.