Court halts Acting President’s justice nominations ahead of snap election

South Korea's Constitutional Court has suspended Acting President Han Duck-soo's nominations for two Constitutional Court justices.

On Tuesday, the court upheld an injunction filed by lawyer Kim Jung-hwan, temporarily blocking Han's picks: Government Legislation Minister Lee Wan-kyu and senior Seoul High Court judge Ham Sang-hoon.

The nominations are now on hold until the court rules on whether an acting president has the authority to make such appointments.

The case was filed after strong backlash from the Democratic Party and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who accused Acting President Han of trying to stack the bench before a new president is elected.

Two justices retire from the bench this week, leaving just seven out of nine.

In a statement, Han's office said the government respects the court's ruling and will await the final judgment.