Rival political camps continued to clash on Sunday over whether acting President Choi Sang-mok should appoint Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk. 

The ruling People Power Party’s interim chief, Kwon Young-se, said the party believes Ma’s appointment is problematic because there was no bipartisan agreement on the matter. 

In a statement, senior party spokesperson Shin Dong-uk said the opposition defied precedent when it unilaterally pursued the process of recommending Ma, adding that if Ma’s appointment is pushed forward at a time when the Constitutional Court is set to issue its verdict in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial, social chaos will surely ensue. 

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party urged the acting president to appoint Ma, citing the Constitutional Court’s ruling last week that Choi infringed on the National Assembly’s rights by not doing so earlier. 

Party spokesperson Hwang Jung-a said in a written briefing that Choi’s failure to observe the court’s ruling would be an intentional violation of the Constitution.

Ma’s appointment has drawn heated debate because Ma previously worked at a judges’ association that is considered progressive, and because his appointment could be a variable in Yoon’s impeachment trial.