Choi Jae-hyung's Remarks During Wolseong Unit 1 Audit Spark Controversy... Undermining the Board of Audit and Inspection Chief?

Chairman Choi Jae-hyung of the Board of Audit and Inspection is attending the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] It has been reported that Choi Jae-hyung, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, made remarks criticizing the government's 'nuclear phase-out policy' during the audit process of the early shutdown decision of Wolseong Unit 1 in April, saying, "Just because the president orders it, does that mean everything must be done?" This has sparked controversy over the fairness of the audit. The audit related to Wolseong Unit 1, which began in October last year, has far exceeded the statutory audit period (a total of 5 months) and has yet to reach a conclusion.

On the 27th, 'Hankyoreh' reported through the words of Baek Woon-gyu, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and the audited party responsible for the early shutdown decision of Wolseong Unit 1, that Chairman Choi made remarks such as, "Can the government's national agenda, which only received 41% support in the presidential election, be said to have gained public consensus?" This was a re-confirmation of the content disclosed by Song Gap-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a government audit inquiry on the 23rd.

Chairman Choi's remarks are controversial as they could potentially raise questions about the fairness of the delayed audit results of Wolseong Unit 1. As the announcement of the audit results for Wolseong Unit 1 has been repeatedly postponed, various political interpretations are emerging. The Board of Audit and Inspection had planned to review and resolve the matter at the audit committee in April but has withheld it and has been conducting a supplementary audit for four months.

Yoo Byung-ho, spokesperson for the Board of Audit and Inspection, was cautious about Chairman Choi's remarks, stating, "The audit has not yet been completed, and we cannot confirm remarks made during the review process." However, he added, "The review process is complex and has been ongoing for a very long time. If a single sentence is taken out of context, the intended meaning of Chairman Choi's remarks may differ in context." He also warned against overinterpretation, saying, "This audit concerns the decision to shut down Wolseong Unit 1, not the government's nuclear phase-out policy."

Some interpret this as the ruling party's attempt to 'target the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection.' However, the chairman's four-year term is guaranteed by the Constitution. Chairman Choi's term lasts until January 2022. If the chairman fails to complete his term due to disagreements over the government's nuclear phase-out policy, it could escalate into a controversy over organizational independence, dealing a blow to the administration. In 2013, during the Park Geun-hye administration, former Chairman Yang Geon resigned with 1 year and 7 months left in his term, reportedly due to pressure from the Blue House over the audit results of the 'Four Major Rivers Project,' which caused a backlash.

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