Acting President Han Duck-soo deferred appointing three Constitutional Court justices during his televised address on Thursday, citing historical precedent and procedural integrity. Han argued that appointing justices without bipartisan agreement would violate long-standing constitutional norms. The opposition-controlled National Assembly voted in favor of the appointment of three Constitutional Court justice nominees on Thursday afternoon. However, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote, arguing that Han lacks the authority to make such appointments before the impeachment trial concludes.

Han’s decision leaves the Constitutional Court with six justices, just enough to meet the quorum needed to deliberate cases. However, this shift lowers the threshold for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment trial: only one dissenting vote is now required to block his removal, compared to four dissenting votes under a full nine-member bench. With bipartisan agreement unlikely, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) responded by fast-tracking plans to impeach Han, accusing him of undermining governance and shielding Yoon.