Former South Korean Constitutional Court justice Song In-jun (송인준) dies at 82
In short
Former Constitutional Court justice Song In-jun (송인준) died at a Seoul hospital at about 21:30 on October 7, his family said. He was 82 and served on the court from 2000 to 2006.
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Former South Korean Constitutional Court justice Song In-jun (송인준) died at a hospital in Seoul at about 21:30 on October 7, his family said on October 8. He was 82. Song served on the Constitutional Court from 2000 to 2006, participating in cases including the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun and the law providing for a new administrative capital. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
Born in Daejeon, Song graduated from Daejeon High School and Seoul National University's law department. He passed the judicial examination in 1969 and became a prosecutor in 1974. Yonhap listed his later posts as including senior roles at prosecution offices in Incheon and Seoul, head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office violent-crime division in 1997, Daejeon chief prosecutor in 1998 and Changwon chief prosecutor in 1999. [ 1 ]
In 2004, Song joined the majority when the Constitutional Court dismissed Roh's impeachment and when it ruled the special law on building a new administrative capital unconstitutional. In 2005, he favored dismissal in a case concerning the administrative city project. That October, he took the minority position that a provision of the Local Public Officials Act prohibiting public servants' labor activities was incompatible with the Constitution. [ 1 , 5 ]
After leaving the court, Song chaired Asia Today from 2007 to 2023 and the Seongsin (성신) educational foundation from 2015 to 2017. He also published poetry collections and a collection of columns. He is survived by his wife, one son and three daughters. The mourning room is at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, with the funeral departure scheduled for October 10 at 08:00. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
Song took part in the court's 2004 decisions dismissing President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment and striking down the special law on a new administrative capital. He later chaired Asia Today from 2007 to 2023.
Key facts
- Song died at about 21:30 on October 7 at age 82. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- He served as a Constitutional Court justice from 2000 to 2006. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- He joined the majority in the 2004 Roh Moo-hyun impeachment and new administrative capital rulings. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The funeral departure is scheduled for 08:00 on October 10 at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]