Parliament approves new Supreme Court justice

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly approved President Lee
Myung-bak's nominee, Min Il-young, as new justice of the Supreme Court Wednesday.
Min's nomination was approved by a vote of 169-84, with most lawmakers from the
main opposition Democratic Party (DP) reportedly casting ballots against him
because he used a false residential address in a real estate transaction in 1985.
Min admitted to the accusations and apologized.
During the confirmation hearing Monday, the 55-year-old Min was questioned about
falsifying his residential registration under the name of his wife, Park
Sun-young, who is a spokeswoman of the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party, in
an attempt to buy an apartment.
"Although there was concern about his spouse's false residence registration, Min
is qualified to serve in the Supreme Court due to his sufficient experience in
the field," said Rep. Cho Bae-sook, a DP lawmaker in charge of Min's confirmation
hearing.
Born in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Min graduated from Seoul National University
and passed the state bar examination in 1978. After long having served as a judge
in district courts nationwide, he became the chief of the Cheongju District Court
earlier this year.
He will soon be sworn in for a six-year tenure in the Supreme Court.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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