Acting President Han Duck-soo on Tuesday vetoed a bill passed by the National Assembly that would have restricted his authority to appoint Constitutional Court justices, escalating a political confrontation ahead of South Korea’s June 3 snap presidential election. The Cabinet, chaired by Han, approved a motion requesting parliamentary reconsideration of the amendment, which sought to limit an acting president’s ability to appoint justices assigned to the presidential share of the nine-member bench.

Han defended the veto during a Cabinet meeting, arguing that the Constitution grants an acting president the full scope of presidential powers without separate limitations. His move comes