Public Safety Committee Files Complaints Against Lee Won-mo and Lee Jong-ho for Absence at Police Chief Confirmation Hearing

People Power Party Absence, Opposition Party Unilateral Approval

The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee has decided to file charges against Lee Won-mo, Secretary for Public Service Discipline at the Presidential Office (former Personnel Secretary), and Lee Jong-ho, former CEO of Black Pearl Investment, who did not appear as witnesses at the confirmation hearing for nominee Police Chief Jo Ji-ho.

Shin Jeong-hoon, Chairman of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, is striking the gavel.
[Photo by Kim Hyun-min]

On the 30th, members of opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea, the Party for People's Innovation, and the Basic Income Party, passed the motion to file charges against the two witnesses unilaterally during the plenary session, while members of the People Power Party had left the meeting.

Shin Jeong-hoon, Chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee, stated, "Although Secretary Lee sent a letter of absence citing the need to maintain official confidentiality while assisting presidential duties, this cannot be seen as the proper attitude of a high-ranking public official in response to the National Assembly's attendance request." Regarding former CEO Lee, he pointed out, "He clearly disregarded the National Assembly by evading receipt of the attendance summons and failing to submit a letter of absence."

Members of the People Power Party left the meeting except for Whip Jo Eun-hee. According to the Act on Testimony, Inspection, and Confession, a witness who fails to appear at a National Assembly hearing without justifiable reason may be subject to imprisonment for up to three years or a fine ranging from 10 million to 30 million KRW.

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