[2020 National Audit] 30 Minutes of Procedural Remarks by Sanjungwi Members... Debate over 'Wolseong Unit 1'

Shin Young-dae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok]

"The audit result is neither a shabby bread nor red bean paste, and I express regret to the 20th National Assembly that requested this audit." (Shin Young-dae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker)

"It seems like they are treating the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit result as something trivial, light, and insignificant, and concluding so." (Kim Jeong-jae, People Power Party lawmaker)

On the 22nd, the National Assembly Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Venture Business Committee's state audit took 30 minutes just for preliminary decision statements before the main questioning. Ten lawmakers participated and presented opinions on the audit results of Wolseong Unit 1.

Lee Cheol-gyu, the opposition party secretary of the Industry Committee from the People Power Party, claimed, "The early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1, a symbol of nuclear phase-out, due to a single word from President Moon Jae-in is a disruption of national order."

Song Gap-seok, the ruling party secretary from the Democratic Party, responded, "I wonder how the same Board of Audit and Inspection announcement can be viewed so differently," and added, "I deeply regret the opposition's expressions such as national disorder, conspiracy, fabrication, and concealment."

There was also a clear difference of opinion on whether the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit announcement could be seen as a validation of the government's nuclear phase-out policy itself. Additionally, the opposition's probing into suspicions of deletion of documents by Ministry of Industry officials continued.

According to the Board of Audit and Inspection's announcement on the 20th, when Wolseong Unit 1 was shut down early in 2018, the director in charge of nuclear industry policy at the Ministry of Industry and official A deleted as many as 444 files (122 folders), and 120 of these files were ultimately not recovered despite the Board's digital forensic efforts.

Some lawmakers also requested audits focusing on safety and local acceptance rather than economic feasibility.

Kim Jeong-jae of the People Power Party said, "The Board of Audit and Inspection's audit on the 20th was about the economic evaluation process of the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 and the breach of duty by the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power board," adding, "If there are grounds for shutting down Wolseong Unit 1 other than economic feasibility, such as safety and local acceptance, I think all of these should also be requested for audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection."

Lee So-young of the Democratic Party argued, "The actual audit result from the Board of Audit and Inspection was only about the economic evaluation part and is not a judgment on the validity of the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1," and stated, "How can the decision to continue operating an aging nuclear plant be made based only on economic feasibility? Safety, local acceptance, and the illegality of life extension ruled by the Seoul Administrative Court in the first trial should be considered together with economic feasibility."

There was also a lawmaker who expressed skepticism about the 20th National Assembly's request for an audit on the early shutdown process of Wolseong Unit 1 itself.

Shin Young-dae of the Democratic Party said, "I express regret to the 20th National Assembly that requested such an audit that produced results neither shabby bread nor red bean paste."

In response, Kim said, "It may seem like they are treating the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit result as trivial, light, and insignificant, but some of the public may have different opinions to some extent," and added, "Using such derogatory words about the audit request by lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties in the 20th National Assembly is inappropriate."

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