The presidential office has reportedly narrowed down its final shortlist of candidates for the two vacant seats on the Constitutional Court to three and has begun the vetting process.

According to the ruling bloc, the candidates include Oh Young-jun, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court; Wi Kwang-ha, a judge at the same court; and Lee Seung-yeop, a judge-turned-lawyer.

Concerns have been raised regarding Lee Seung-yeop's potential conflicts of interest, as he has represented President Lee Jae-myung in various cases, including an election law violation case.

The presidential office acknowledged that the three individuals are indeed among the candidates but dismissed concerns about conflicts of interest, calling them incomprehensible.

The final two candidates are expected to be announced on Monday.

Last Thursday, President Lee officially withdrew the nominations of Lee Wan-kyu and Ham Sang-hun for Constitutional Court justices, nullifying their nominations made in April by then-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was serving as acting president in the final days of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.