On February 1, Yoon's defense team submitted a brief to the Constitutional Court regarding three justices, arguing that they could not expect an impartial hearing. What these three have in common is that they are all members of a far-left judicial study group called the Woori Law Research Group. Also known as a “Judicial Cartel,” it was founded in 1988 and was once chaired by Judge Moon Hyung-bae, the current acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court.
For instance, Judge Lee Seung-hyun of the Seoul Western District Court, who illegally issued an unprecedented arrest warrant against a sitting chief executive on December 31 last year, was also a member of the Woori Law group. At the time, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which sought the warrant, faced heavy criticism for deliberately choosing the Western District, where the judge had ties to the Woori Law group. Procedurally, the CIO is supposed to file their motions and warrants at the Seoul Central District Court.
The bigger issue is the over-representation of members of this law group in the Constitutional Court. Of the approximately 3,100 judges in South Korea, it is estimated that 5 to 10 percent—up to 310 judges—are members of the Woori Law group. Among this small group, three currently serve as judges on the Constitutional Court bench. Ma, the candidate the Constitutional Court is rushing to bring in, was also a member of the same research group. This is a highly unusual situation.
Yoon vs Lee Once Again
