Opposition Party Leader Candidates "Support Full Real Estate Audit... Prefer Agencies Other Than the Board of Audit and Inspection"

Jokyungtae·Hong Moonpyo "Kwonikwi is also good"
Joo Hoyoung·Lee Junseok "National Assembly Public Ethics Committee" Na Kyungwon "Special Committee Formation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] On the 9th, the People Power Party (PPP) leadership candidates announced that they would conduct a full-scale investigation of their party members' real estate holdings through the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission or the National Assembly Public Officials Ethics Committee. They all seemed to distance themselves from the current leadership's decision to undergo an investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection.

At the KBS-hosted TV debate held that day, the PPP leadership candidates expressed their positions regarding the full-scale investigation of their party members' real estate. For now, the candidates indicated that they would not insist on the investigation method through the Board of Audit and Inspection, as the current leadership has decided. Some have criticized the request for a full investigation to the Board of Audit and Inspection, which excludes the National Assembly from its jurisdiction, as a stalling tactic.

First, Representative Cho Kyung-tae said, "The Democratic Party announced that they would leave it to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and I think the People Power Party should also entrust it to the Commission for a thorough investigation." He added, "Although the chairperson of the Commission is from the Democratic Party, we must trust the dedication of the public officials working under them." Representative Cho also stated, "Based on the results from the Commission, there should be strong punitive measures, including expulsion, dismissal, and referral for investigation, even more stringent than those applied to the Democratic Party."

Representative Hong Moon-pyo also said, "It would be good for the Board of Audit and Inspection to handle this issue within the national system, but if it is legally difficult, there is no reason for the Commission not to accept it," adding, "High-ranking officials around the president, ministers, and vice ministers should also be subject to the investigation."

Representative Joo Ho-young said, "There is a Public Officials Ethics Committee in the National Assembly that reviews members' property acquisitions, changes, and whether development information was used, but it has been a problem that this is done formally every year," and added, "Currently, the proper procedure is to have the National Assembly Public Officials Ethics Committee handle it, but there is a need to form a special committee composed entirely of external experts with professionalism, or to conduct a full investigation through special legislation." Representative Joo said, "Not only the 300 members of the National Assembly but also high-ranking officials from the Blue House, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) should be investigated all at once."

Former Representative Na Kyung-won said, "There is a legal issue with the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit, making it difficult to apply to National Assembly members, and the Commission's chairperson is simply a former Democratic Party member, and its decisions have not been reasonable or just, so it is better not to entrust it," adding, "I agree with Representative Joo's idea that the National Assembly Public Officials Ethics Committee could be used, but there are limits to investigating through the Ethics Committee. I think forming a special committee is appropriate." She continued, "They can investigate there, and if there are problems, members can be expelled according to misconduct."

Former Supreme Council Member Lee Jun-seok said, "It should be conducted by an entity that can gain much more public trust than the investigation the Democratic Party received from the Commission," and added, "It is important to expand and reorganize the Public Officials Ethics Committee, as mentioned by Representative Joo, into an organization dedicated to this kind of task." However, Lee said, "Since those close to the Blue House or power institutions can acquire such undisclosed information, it is important to extend the scope to them, but if this is pursued simultaneously, it could be misunderstood as a diversion tactic. Therefore, I would like to propose that they first voluntarily undergo the review and then expand the scope to public officials from the Moon Jae-in administration."

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