SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korean acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday approved the appointment of two of the three constitutional court justices who will fill vacancies on the nine-member bench for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial.

However, Choi vetoed bills to appoint independent counsels and investigate Yoon's rebellion charge and scandals involving his wife that were passed in the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Dec. 12.

Choi told a televised cabinet meeting that volatility in the South Korean economy, sparked by the martial law imposition, expanded dramatically following the suspended appointment of the justices and the impeachment of then acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Choi, who is concurrently the minister of economy and finance, assumed the acting presidency on Dec. 27 after the impeachment of both President Yoon and acting President Han.

Choi stressed that he decided to appoint the justice nominees on the urgency of ending political uncertainty and social conflict as soon as possible to prevent possible economic and people's livelihood crises.

Two of the three justices will be immediately appointed as the ruling and opposition parties are confirmed to have approached an agreement, but the remaining one will be appointed later when the rival parties reach an agreement, Choi noted.

Six incumbent constitutional court justices called for an early appointment of the three justices to fill vacancies and maintained their position of putting Yoon's impeachment trial as a top priority, the court's spokesperson said earlier on Tuesday.

On Dec. 26, the country's parliament voted for the appointment of the three justices, two of which were nominated by the main opposition Democratic Party, while one was nominated by the ruling People Power Party.

The appointment of the three justices, which was passed in the opposition-controlled National Assembly, is required to be ceremonially approved by the president.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspect on insurrection charges, declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

To oust Yoon from office, at least six out of nine constitutional court justices are required to uphold the impeachment motion.

Regarding the special counsel investigation into Yoon and his wife, Choi said Tuesday at the cabinet meeting that he fully understood the legislative purpose of the bills to appoint independent counsels and thoroughly probe Yoon's insurrection charge and his wife's scandals.

Choi, however, noted that a stricter standard would be necessary as the special counsel system is exceptional in the principle of separating legislative, administrative and judicial powers under the constitution, calling for the rival parties to come up with a reasonable way that everyone can agree on.

Under the bill targeting Yoon, the impeached president's insurrection and abuse of power are mainly subject to the investigation.

The special counsel investigation into Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, is against 15 corruption allegations, such as stock price manipulation, interference in candidate nominations for the 2022 by-elections and the 2024 parliamentary elections, and even in public opinion manipulation during the 2022 presidential election.

The previous three bills against Kim were vetoed by Yoon and scrapped in a revote. Enditem

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