"'Text Controversy' Yoo Byung-ho: 'Apologetic, but Communication Is Normal'"

National Assembly Judiciary Committee Audit Attendance "Audit Committee Members' Presence at National Audit is Inappropriate"

Yoo Byung-ho, Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is attending the National Assembly's inspection of the Board of Audit and Inspection held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Yoo Byung-ho, Secretary General of the Board of Audit and Inspection, expressed regret regarding the controversy over text messages exchanged with Lee Gwan-seop, Senior Secretary for National Planning at the Presidential Office, saying, "I apologize for causing any controversy."

On the 11th, Secretary General Yoo appeared at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee (LJC) audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection and stated this, while emphasizing, "However, the communication was normal." He further explained, "There was a conversation the day before about the report being false, so the dialogue continued for two consecutive days, which is why I used the word 'again'."

Earlier, a message sent by Secretary General Yoo to Senior Secretary Lee on the 5th, before the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was captured by the media. The message read, "Today, a proper explanatory statement will be released again. The intention is to stop ignorant talk." Senior Secretary Lee's text message implied a response to a Hankyoreh report claiming that the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of the 'West Sea civil servant shooting incident' was conducted without the resolution of the Board's highest decision-making body, the Audit Committee.

In response, the Democratic Party criticized the political independence and neutrality of the independent Board of Audit and Inspection as questionable, and demanded that audit committee members be present at the audit hearings to respond to inquiries.

Regarding the criticism that individual audits were conducted without the Audit Committee's resolution, Secretary General Yoo said, "This is false information when viewed against the Board of Audit and Inspection's regulations, history, and practices," adding, "Therefore, it may be inappropriate in some respects for audit committee members to be present at this meeting."

Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, who also appeared at the audit hearing that day, dismissed such criticisms, stating, "Regarding the audit of the West Sea civil servant shooting incident, there have been comments about various procedural flaws, but the authority to initiate an audit, that is, the commencement of an audit, is not a matter for the Audit Committee's resolution but lies with the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and it has been operated that way consistently."

He continued, "The Secretariat operates under the direction and supervision of the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct accounting audits, duty inspections, and review requests," explaining, "The Board of Audit and Inspection Act explicitly states that the Secretariat conducts audits. The Secretariat is subject to the Chairman's direction and supervision, not that of the committee."

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