Did the audit result of Wolseong Unit 1 leak... Democratic Party attacks the Auditor General before the announcement

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] The announcement of the Board of Audit and Inspection's (BAI) audit results, which will determine whether the decision to prematurely shut down the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 was justified, is reportedly imminent. However, even before the results are released, the ruling party has publicly criticized the BAI over concerns about 'fairness,' sparking controversy.

According to the BAI and the National Assembly on the 28th, the audit related to the early closure of Wolseong Unit 1, which began in October last year, is expected to be disclosed next month after 10 months. Although the Audit Committee attempted to review and decide on the matter in April, the process was postponed for several months due to the need for supplementary audits. Therefore, the final results are expected to be confirmed at the Audit Committee meeting scheduled for next month.

However, controversy ignited when former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-kyu claimed through some media outlets that the BAI was conducting a "biased audit" ahead of the audit results announcement. Baek was the minister in charge when the decision to prematurely shut down Wolseong Unit 1 was made in 2018. If any irregularities are found in the decision-making process, he would be a figure who cannot easily evade responsibility.

Ruling party lawmakers also joined in unison. On the 23rd, Song Gap-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated during a government inquiry, "Chairman Choi Jae-hyung of the BAI said, 'Not everything is done just because the president orders it,' denying the legitimacy of the national agenda," thereby downplaying the issue as a political matter. Yang Yi-won-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker elected via proportional representation and a former anti-nuclear activist, added, "This is a grave matter that could even shake the credibility of the BAI's audit results," urging, "Chairman Choi must directly clarify the suspicions." Go Min-jung, a Democratic Party lawmaker from the Blue House, criticized, "Conducting an audit solely based on economic feasibility is nothing but a 'tailored audit.'"

The BAI stated, "This audit, initiated at the request of the National Assembly, is to examine the decision-making process of the early closure of Wolseong Unit 1," and clarified, "It is not an evaluation or audit of the government's 'nuclear phase-out policy' at all."

The ruling party's fierce attack before the audit results are even announced has put the BAI in a very difficult position. There is also analysis suggesting that the BAI has tentatively concluded that the 'lack of economic feasibility' evaluation, which played a crucial role in the closure decision at the time, was inappropriate. If so, it is expected that the Moon Jae-in administration's flagship nuclear phase-out policy will also suffer a blow.

Regarding this, a Blue House official stated at a briefing the day before, citing the Board of Audit and Inspection Act, which stipulates that "the BAI holds an independent status concerning its duties," and expressed the position that "this principle is being strictly observed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.