South Korea's National Assembly opens audit of Lee government's second year
Version 4: New first-day reporting adds detail: the audit opened in eight committees and runs to Oct 30, the opposition is seeking witnesses including a presidential office deputy chief of staff over personnel suspicions, and Republicans in the opposition criticised a police summons of one of their lawmakers as a political investigation timed to the audit.
In short
South Korea's National Assembly began its annual audit of the second year of the Lee Jae-myung government on Oct 6, with eight standing committees meeting on the first day and the audit scheduled to run until Oct 30. The first day's main confrontation was expected at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and his refusal of a request to re-recommend Supreme Court justices. Other committees were to take up the DMZ mine accident, US investment projects including Alaska LNG, the handover of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine and the newly launched Major Crimes Investigation Agency.
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South Korea's National Assembly opened its annual audit of the second year of the Lee Jae-myung administration on Oct 6, with eight standing committees holding sessions, Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily and Asia Economy reported. The audit is scheduled to run 25 days, to Oct 30. Seoul Economic Daily and Asia Economy reported 17 standing committees examining 846 institutions; SBS News said 16 standing committees would take part. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
The first day's main confrontation was expected at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's refusal of a request to re-recommend Supreme Court justices, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun, Yonhap, CBS NoCut News and Seoul Economic Daily. Yonhap reported Cho said he would set out his position through the audit but submitted a document giving reasons for not attending as a witness, and that by custom the chief justice attends as head of the institution, gives a greeting and leaves. CBS NoCut News reported Democratic lawmakers want direct testimony and an oath over the vacancy of Supreme Court justices and are considering blocking his exit and filing a complaint, while Cho cited damage to the separation of powers and judicial independence. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
Democratic Party chief spokesperson Lee Joo-hee said in a written briefing that under the National Assembly testimony law anyone called as a witness must comply, and that refusing without justification is subject to criminal punishment, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. People Power Party floor leader Jung Chung-sik wrote on Facebook that summoning a chief justice to the audit was an act of tyranny and abuse of power by the National Assembly against the judiciary that goes against the separation of powers, the same outlet reported. [ 1 ]
Democratic Party spokesperson Shin Hyun-young said the ruling party would check carefully whether the government was properly carrying out state tasks and livelihood reform tasks, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported, and floor leader Han Byung-do said the party's audit principle was “livelihood, first, second and third” and that it would stand firmly against audits used as political tools, Asia Economy reported. People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said the opposition would focus on security and livelihood, listing the DMZ mine accident, the conflict with Ukraine over North Korean prisoners of war, the hasty launch of single-stock leveraged ETFs and Seoul apartment prices that have risen for 86 consecutive weeks, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
Other committees also had flashpoints. CBS NoCut News reported a mine explosion at the western DMZ on Sept 21 injured three soldiers and that the military had judged it a North Korean armistice violation and begun clearing mines south of the Military Demarcation Line, with the People Power Party criticising a delayed on-site inspection and the military saying it had followed safety procedures and had not covered anything up. Kyunghyang Shinmun, Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily reported committees would examine US investment projects including the Alaska LNG project, the handover of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine, and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, which opened on Oct 2 without a head; Seoul Economic Daily said the hearing for its nominee, Kim Ji-yong, is expected as early as Oct 8 and that the opposition wants First Deputy Chief of Staff Kim Hyun-ji as a witness over personnel intervention suspicions the ruling party rejects as a political attack. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The audit is the National Assembly's main annual scrutiny of the administration and sets the terms of the fight between the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition People Power Party. The dispute over Chief Justice Cho touches the boundary between the legislature's investigative powers and judicial independence, while the sessions on US investment projects and on the handover of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine involve foreign and security policy.
Key facts
- The National Assembly's audit of the second year of the Lee Jae-myung government began on Oct 6, with eight standing committees holding sessions on the first day. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The audit is scheduled to run until Oct 30; Seoul Economic Daily and Asia Economy reported 17 standing committees and 846 audited institutions, while SBS News said 16 standing committees would take part. [ 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The Legislation and Judiciary Committee was the first day's main point of contention, over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and his refusal of a request to re-recommend Supreme Court justices. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Chief Justice Cho submitted a document giving reasons for not attending as a witness and was expected to attend as head of the institution, give a greeting and leave in line with custom. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Democratic Party said it would focus on government policy and livelihood issues, while the People Power Party said it would concentrate on security and livelihood failures. [ 1 , 5 , 7 ]
- The DMZ mine accident was a key issue for the Defense Committee. [ 4 , 5 ]
- The People Power Party sought to call First Deputy Chief of Staff Kim Hyun-ji as a witness over personnel intervention suspicions. [ 4 , 5 ]
- US investment projects including the Alaska LNG project and the handover of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine were expected to be examined. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The National Assembly's audit of the second year of the Lee Jae-myung government began on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- Eight standing committees held audits on the first day, and the audit is scheduled to run until Oct 30. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The Legislation and Judiciary Committee was the first day's central point of contention, over Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and the refusal to re-recommend Supreme Court justices. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae submitted a document giving reasons for not attending as a witness and was expected to give a greeting and leave in line with custom. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Democratic Party planned to highlight government policy and livelihood issues, while the People Power Party planned to focus on security and economic failures. [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 7 ]
- The DMZ mine accident was a key issue for the Defense Committee. [ 4 , 5 ]
- The People Power Party sought to call First Deputy Chief of Staff Kim Hyun-ji as a witness over personnel intervention suspicions, which the ruling party rejected as a political attack. [ 4 , 5 ]
- US investment projects including the Alaska LNG project, and the handover of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine, were expected to be examined. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Chief Justice Cho will appear as a witness or leave after a greeting. Yonhap, CBS NoCut News and Seoul Economic Daily describe competing expectations: Cho filed reasons for non-attendance and is expected to leave after greetings, while the Democratic Party could refuse to let him leave and press him as it did at last year's audit.
- The exact number of standing committees conducting the audit. SBS News reported 16 committees, while Seoul Economic Daily and Asia Economy reported 17; Asia Economy said 16 of the 17 had confirmed audit plans.
- How last year's audit of the Supreme Court proceeded. Yonhap said Cho stayed for more than an hour of Democratic questioning after then committee chairman Choo Mi-ae refused to let him leave, while CBS NoCut News said he followed the custom of leaving around lunchtime with the court administration minister answering in his place.
- The date of the confirmation hearing for Major Crimes Investigation Agency head nominee Kim Ji-yong. Kyunghyang Shinmun said the Public Administration and Security Committee might set the date, and Seoul Economic Daily said the hearing is expected as early as Oct 8, but no date is confirmed.
- Whether the military's handling of the DMZ mine accident amounted to a delayed response or a safety procedure. CBS NoCut News reported the People Power Party's criticism of a delayed on-site inspection and the military's response that it followed safety procedures and did not cover anything up; no other document gives details of the dispute.
- Whether the People Power Party's requested witnesses for the Industry and Climate committees, including Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, will be adopted. Asia Economy reported the dispute over witness selection for the Honam semiconductor cluster hearings, but no decision is given.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports on the eve of the audit, with the parties' strategies and the chief justice issue. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the audit opens with eight standing committees. [ 2 ]
- SBS News reports the audit opens today and is to run 25 days to Oct 30 in 16 standing committees. [ 3 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the audit opens with the chief justice, the DMZ mine accident and the Kim Hyun-ji allegations as major issues. [ 4 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the audit opens, with 17 standing committees and 846 institutions. [ 5 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the military has judged the DMZ mine explosion a North Korean armistice violation and begun clearing mines south of the Military Demarcation Line. [ 6 ]
- Asia Economy reports the audit has opened and the Democratic Party has held its audit situation room opening ceremony. [ 7 ]