Constitutional heroine of South Korea in the historical and constitutional context

Jeong-In Yun

Chapter 15 in Elgar Companion to Female Chief Justices in Comparative Perspective, 2026, pp 314-331 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter examines female judicial leadership in South Korea, with a focus on the historical context and a significant constitutional crisis that characterizes a “constitutional heroine” in the Korean context. Facing solid glass walls and ceilings in the past, women lawyers have long struggled to enter and thrive in the judiciary, with no woman yet appointed to the top court's leadership. In this context, it is a good testament to the judicial leadership of women that the former Acting President of the Constitutional Court, Lee Jung-mi, who faced a constitutional crisis caused by presidential impeachment, passed the critical leadership test. Thus, this chapter examines how she deserves to be recognized as a “constitutional heroine” after surviving the risky opportunity, like a glass cliff, and drawing lessons from her case for female judicial leadership in South Korea and beyond, especially where female judicial leaders are rare.

Keywords: South Korea; Korean Constitutional Court; Female judges; Presidential impeachment; Constitutional crisis; Constitutional heroine; Judicial leadership (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035308637
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