[2025 Parliamentary Audit] Why Is Korea Electric Power Corporation Undergoing an Audit in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province?

Audit Schedule and Venue Changed During Proceedings
Affected by Amendments to the Government Organization Act
Separate Audit by the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee on the 23rd

After a series of complications, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power are set to undergo a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on October 20 at Kangwon Land in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. Originally, the audit was scheduled to take place at the National Assembly on the 17th, but both the date and location were changed during the course of the audit.

On September 25, the committee adopted this year's audit plan, which included Korea Electric Power Corporation. The following day, on September 26, the National Assembly held a plenary session and amended the Government Organization Act. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which was subject to the committee's audit, was renamed the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and its energy policy responsibilities-excluding areas such as nuclear power exports-were transferred to the Ministry of Environment, which was renamed the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. As a result, just one day after adopting the audit plan, the committee lost its justification for conducting an audit of the energy sector.

Ultimately, after the Chuseok holiday, the committee temporarily suspended the audit on October 13, convened a full meeting, canceled the audit of power generation subsidiaries under Korea Electric Power Corporation that was scheduled for the 17th, and included Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in the audit scheduled for the 20th. Typically, these audits are held at the National Assembly or at Korea Electric Power Corporation's headquarters in Naju, South Jeolla Province, but this time, the audit will take place in Gangwon Province. Due to the amendments to the Government Organization Act and the National Assembly Act, Korea Electric Power Corporation will also undergo a separate audit by the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee on the 23rd.

There is considerable dissatisfaction within the committee regarding this series of events. Although the committee's areas of jurisdiction have changed, the number of committee members has remained the same. Lee Cheolgyu, the committee chair from the People Power Party, commented, "There are concerns that this year's parliamentary audit of energy-related work will not be conducted properly."

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