By Eom Da-sol





Fabian Duessel, the Constitutional Court's first non-Korean deputy director. / Courtesy of the Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court of Korea has hired its first non-Korean deputy director.

Fabian Duessel, 28, a German, started work at the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) research center on Mar. 15.

Duessel, who passed the court's international professional service examination last October, was hired for "his prestigious credentials in international law and constitution," said a court official.

Duessel's experience as a lecturer at Tubingen University in Germany and National Taiwan University was also highly regarded, the official added.

In a court press release, Duessel said, "I am very grateful to work at the constitutional court, the leading court of international constitutional trials."

"Utilizing my diverse experience, I will take a vital role in globalizing the Korean constitutional court and developing human right and democracy in Asia."

Duessel has a two-year contract, which can be renewed for two more years, and then a further year.

Duessel is not the first non-Korean the court has hired, with an Italian researcher having had a temporary contract. But Duessel is the first non-Korean to pass the court's exam.

The AACC is an association of 12 Asian countries' constitutional courts cooperating and sharing legal information.

Launched last December, it has been seeking professionals worldwide since.