Minister, opposition clash at audit over 12th power plan committee list
Version 2: Additional coverage added detail of the same audit exchange, including the minister's argument that the committee is an advisory body and ruling-party calls for the audit to continue.
In short
At a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on Oct 6, People Power Party lawmakers demanded the names of the committee drafting the 12th Electricity Supply and Demand Basic Plan, and Minister Kim Sung-hwan declined, saying past governments also did not disclose such lists. Kim cited lobbying and unnecessary contacts on members, and said the committee is legally an advisory body. He added the list is not a state secret and he would report in an appropriate way if needed.
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The National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee audited the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on Oct 6, and the disclosure of the committee drafting the 12th Electricity Supply and Demand Basic Plan became the central dispute, Yonhap reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
People Power Party lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu said he had requested the 12th plan committee member list and received the answer that it would be difficult because verifying members' qualifications could give rise to unnecessary controversy. He said confirming who takes part in the body that sets electricity policy is the National Assembly's responsibility. Minister Kim Sung-hwan, a former Democratic Party lawmaker, replied that he had no recollection of receiving the 11th plan's member list when he sat on the industry committee during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and said the list has not been disclosed historically. He also said the matter went “as far as lobbying, well, perhaps not that far”, which Yonhap described as an apparent reference to pressure on individual members. [ 2 , 3 ]
People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won pushed back, saying the grounds for refusing to submit materials apply only when they concern national security, and that refusing to hand over the electricity plan list was not understandable. Kim did not yield, asking why the list had not been submitted under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and saying there must have been reasons. [ 2 , 3 ]
Kim said that when members' names become public, contacts and other “noise” multiply, describing this as long-standing practice behind non-disclosure. Asia Economy reported he said the committee is legally an advisory body rather than a decision-making body, and that past disclosure caused problems in members' policy activities. He said the list is not a state secret and that he would report in an appropriate way if necessary. [ 2 , 3 ]
Other lawmakers also weighed in. People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jong-bae said there is no justification for refusing to submit the material, since documents should be provided unless a legally restricted reason applies. Kim So-hee of the same party said the non-disclosure principle cannot answer the current situation and that the government should disclose the list to be credited for running the plan transparently, noting it is already known through media. Ruling party lawmaker Lee Hak-young said the opposition's data requests are legitimate but the audit must not be halted, and that the requests should be met while the audit continues. [ 3 ]
Newsis published photographs of Kim at the Yeouido audit answering questions and reviewing documents on data submission, without substantive detail of the exchange. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The 12th electricity supply plan sets the framework for national power supply, so who drafts it is a question of energy-policy transparency. The exchange also turned the audit into a partisan test of the current government against the record of the previous one. The documents give no indication of how or when the disclosure dispute will be settled.
Key facts
- The National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee held an audit of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- People Power Party lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu said his request for the list of members of the 12th Electricity Supply and Demand Basic Plan committee was refused, with the answer that verifying members' qualifications could cause unnecessary controversy. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Minister Kim Sung-hwan said he did not recall receiving the 11th plan's member list when he was on the industry committee during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and that such lists have not been disclosed historically. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said the committee is legally an advisory body, not a decision-making body, and that publishing members' names could bring lobbying and unnecessary contacts. [ 2 , 3 ]
- People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won said materials may be withheld only when they concern national security, and called the refusal to submit the electricity plan list not understandable. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said the list is not a state secret and that he would report in an appropriate manner if necessary. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hak-young said the opposition's data request was legitimate but that the audit must not be halted over it. [ 3 ]
- People Power Party lawmaker Kim So-hee said the list is already known through media, so withholding it only from the National Assembly is inappropriate. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee audited the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kim Sung-hwan is the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment and answered questions at the audit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- People Power Party lawmakers demanded the member list of the committee drafting the 12th Electricity Supply and Demand Basic Plan. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said he did not recall receiving the 11th plan's committee list under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and that such lists have not historically been disclosed. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kim said the list is not a state secret and that he would report appropriately if necessary. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the 12th electricity plan committee member list will be given to the National Assembly. Kim said only that he would report in an appropriate manner if needed, without committing to disclosure.
- Whether previous administrations, including the Yoon Suk Yeol government, also withheld the 11th plan's committee list. This rests on Kim's recollection, contested in the same exchange by opposition demands over the current list.
- Whether the audit session was interrupted during the dispute. Asia Economy quotes a ruling party lawmaker saying the audit must not be halted, but no document states that it was suspended.
- The number and identity of the 12th electricity plan committee members. No document provides the names or the size of the committee.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes photographs of Minister Kim Sung-hwan at the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee audit in Yeouido, Seoul. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the clash between People Power Party lawmakers and Minister Kim over the 12th electricity plan committee list. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy reports further detail of the dispute, including the minister's advisory-body argument and ruling-party comments. [ 3 ]