Two senior judges have been nominated to succeed outgoing Constitutional Court justices Lee Seon-ae and Lee Suk-tae.

According to the Supreme Court on Monday, Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su nominated Kim Hyung-du, ex-deputy chief at the National Court Administration and a senior judge at the Seoul High Court, to succeed Justice Lee Seon-ae, whose six-year term ends later this month.

Jeong Jeong-mi, a senior judge at the Daejeon High Court, was named as the successor to Justice Lee Suk-tae, who reaches the retirement age of 70 in April.

The chief justice said the nominations were based on the candidates' firm belief in constitutional values and the guarantee of the public's basic rights, as well as the ability to identify with the socially vulnerable and minorities and the will to defend them.

The two nominees are subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings before their formal appointment by President Yoon Suk Yeol, which does not require the National Assembly’s approval.