Lee Nak-yeon Appoints Choi Ki-sang as Head of Ethics Inspection Team..."Democratic Party's Version of the Corruption Investigation Office"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kang Nahum and Jeon Jinyoung] Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on the 16th that he will appoint Assemblyman Choi Ki-sang, a former judge, as the head of the party's Ethics Inspection Team, which is being launched to oversee elected officials affiliated with the party.

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the same day, Lee said, "The Democratic Party is launching an Ethics Inspection Team. We have appointed Assemblyman Choi, who served as a senior judge at the Seoul District Court and as the chairperson of the National Judges Conference, as the head."

Lee explained, "The Ethics Inspection Team will serve as the Democratic Party's equivalent of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit. In particular, it will handle issues such as corruption and gender violence among elected officials and key party officers affiliated with the party from legal, moral, and ethical perspectives, and refer cases to the Ethics Tribunal and other bodies."

He added, "I hope the Ethics Inspection Team will strictly and independently carry out its duties in accordance with the party constitution, party regulations, social norms, and conscience, thereby establishing ethical awareness among party members and enhancing the party's trust."

Accordingly, the Ethics Inspection Team is expected to investigate issues related to Assemblymembers Yoon Mee-hyang, Lee Sang-jik, and Kim Hong-gul. Previously, Lee had urged Assemblymembers Lee Sang-jik and Kim Hong-gul to take "reasonable measures." Regarding Assemblymember Yoon, he also stated, "We will discuss this in connection with the formation of the Ethics Inspection Team."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Lee proposed that the entire nation use 'Chuseok video calls' instead of traveling home for the Chuseok holiday. He said, "We are urging people to refrain from traveling this Chuseok, but staying still feels too lonely. So, I proposed a campaign to send Chuseok gifts, and today I want to offer another suggestion to the public: video calls."

Lee explained, "To ease the sadness of families who cannot be together during Chuseok, local governments have stepped in to act as children on their behalf. They support 40% of the cost for grave cleaning services and have launched a project called 'Visiting Video Calls,' where public officials visit elders and connect them via video calls with their distant children and grandchildren."

He emphasized, "I hope we can also run a campaign to connect video calls for elders in nursing homes and hospitals. If the medical staff at these facilities assist, it can help alleviate the regret of not being able to meet family members even a little, and it is also an opportunity to showcase the lifestyle of an IT powerhouse."

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