Lee Jong-seok (judge)

Lee Jong-seok ( born 21 February 1961) is the 8th President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in November 2023.

Life and career
Lee was born on 21 February 1961 in Chilgok, South Korea. He graduated Kyeongbuk High School and Seoul National University School of Law, passed 25th National bar exam, and completed 15th Judicial Research and Training Institute program. He started his legal career as trial court judge at Incheon District Court in 1989 after discharging from mandatory military service as judge advocate. During almost thirty years of his public service as lower ordinary court judge, he was renowned for expertise in affairs of court administration and litigations on bankruptcy.

Lee was nominated for Justice of the Constitutional Court of Korea in 2018, by Liberty Korea Party, which was major conservative party in South Korea. Following approval of the nomination in National Assembly, President Moon Jae-in appointed him as the Constitutional Court justice in October 2018.

As one of nine Justices in the Constitutional Court of Korea, Lee was famous for his conservative view, including against decriminalizing of abortion. This characteristic led President Yoon Suk Yeol to nominate him as candidate for President of the Constitutional Court of Korea, as successor of retiring 7th Constitutional Court president Yoo Nam-seok.