Yoo Byung-ho Appointed as Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Known for 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Audit'

Byung-ho Yoo, Director of the Audit Research Institute at the Board of Audit and Inspection /

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] Yoo Byung-ho, Director of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Research Institute who led the audit on the 2020 economic feasibility manipulation allegations of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, has been appointed as the Secretary General of the BAI, overseeing all audit operations.

On the 14th, the BAI announced that Chairman Choi Jae-hae recommended Director Yoo for the position of the new Secretary General. Director Yoo was praised for his principled and steadfast character after revealing through the October 2020 audit on the "early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1" that despite systematic concealment of audit evidence and interference from related agencies, the economic feasibility was hastily evaluated, leading to the decision for early closure.

Previously, Director Yoo was appointed as the head of the BAI Research Institute in January this year, which was regarded as a demotion. However, after participating in the 20th Presidential Transition Committee, he has returned to audit duties within five months through this appointment. Additionally, Director Yoo investigated the hiring practices of Seoul Metro and other public institutions, halting irregular conversions to permanent positions that were illegal and improper, thereby enforcing principles and common sense in public institution personnel management.

Born in 1967 in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam, Director Yoo graduated from Daea High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Political Science. He earned a master's degree in Public Administration from the same university and a master's degree in Law from Indiana University in the United States. After passing the 38th Administrative Examination in 1994, he began his public service career in 1995. He transferred to the BAI in 1997 and has held key positions including Director of the Public Institution Audit Bureau, Director of the Deliberation Office, Director of the Local Administration Audit Bureau 1, Head of the Defense Audit Team, and Head of the IT Audit Team.

A BAI official stated, "Director Yoo is judged to be the right person to lead the BAI as a vibrant and dynamic organization with firm conviction and a progressive spirit of challenge."

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