[2023 National Audit] Auditor General on Jeon Hyun-hee Audit Controversy: "Mistake of Not Fully Adhering to Law and Principles"

Choi Jaehae, Jo Eunseok Suspect "Chairman Jeon Hyeonhee's Lawyer Role"
Disruption After National Audit Begins... Ruling and Opposition Clash Over Audit Committee Member's 'On-site Attendance'

On the 13th, Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, said regarding the controversy over the disclosure process of the audit report on former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee, "There were some mistakes in the internal process where we failed to adhere faithfully to laws and principles." He specifically stated about Audit Commissioner Jo Eun-seok, who was the lead auditor for the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, "I strongly suspected that he acted as a legal representative for Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee."

On the same day, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection saw clashes between the ruling and opposition parties over the audit of former Chairperson Jeon. Before the audit began, Chairman Choi said in his opening remarks, "Recently, there were some mistakes in the Board of Audit and Inspection's internal review and resolution process of audit results where we failed to faithfully adhere to laws and principles. Due to this, numerous unfounded speculations and one-sided claims contrary to facts have been raised both internally and externally, causing many citizens to worry, for which I am sorry."

Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is responding to a lawmaker's question during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection on the 13th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, Commissioner Jo posted a critical message on the internal network after the Board of Audit and Inspection disclosed the service audit report on former Chairperson Jeon, stating that the report was made public without his final review as the lead auditor. However, the Board's Secretariat rebutted this, and through an internal investigation, the Board found that Commissioner Jo had engaged in illegal and improper conduct.

When Park Hyung-soo, a member of the People Power Party, asked Chairman Choi, "Do you mean that the Board of Audit and Inspection and its chairman failed to adhere to laws and principles, or that a specific auditor's conduct was not faithful?" Choi replied, "Both are included," adding, "The expression was written with certain behaviors of the lead auditor in mind."

In response, the Democratic Party pointed out issues regarding the Board's submission of materials. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Joo-min said, "They receive all materials when auditing other agencies, but when they themselves are audited, they refuse to submit materials." He then demanded the submission of all materials related to the audit and investigation request of former Chairperson Jeon, along with detailed records of the chairman's special activity expenses, business promotion expenses, and official vehicle access records to the government office building.

Meanwhile, the audit faced disruption after it began due to the issue of audit commissioners, including Commissioner Jo, attending the session. The Democratic Party insisted that audit commissioners should be present on-site, while the People Power Party opposed this citing precedent and consultation processes. Democratic Party whip So Byung-chul said, "Looking at past Legislation and Judiciary Committee sessions, audit commissioners have been seated and have appeared to answer questions, setting a precedent," and requested the attendance of Commissioner Jo and others involved in the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission audit controversy. People Power Party whip Jeong Jeom-sik countered, "Until now, it has been customary for audit commissioners to leave once the briefing is over," and pointed out that there should have been bipartisan agreement on audit commissioners' attendance, which was absent this time.

Afterward, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to allow audit commissioners to attend only during the morning session, and the audit resumed close to noon.

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