The ruling and opposition parties clashed over a document submission issue even before starting the National Assembly audit of the Board of Audit and Inspection at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 15th.
During the parliamentary audit held that day, Jeong Chung-rae, a member of the ruling Democratic Party and the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, stated that the Board of Audit and Inspection has not submitted requested materials such as records related to the relocation of the presidential office to Cheong Wa Dae and audit-related meetings due to Article 16 of the Board’s operating rules.
Chairman Jeong urged for the submission of the documents, stating that according to Article 2 of the Parliament Witness Protection Act, unless there are specific provisions, the law must be followed. He emphasized that the Law on Audit and Inspection takes precedence over the Board’s operating rules, so refusal to submit the documents despite having the rules in place is not acceptable.
However, Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hae practically refused to submit the documents, saying, “All audit reports are publicly available,” and expressing concerns that making meeting records public could hinder free expression of opinions by other committee members.
Members of the ruling party supported the Board of Audit and Inspection’s position. Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party pointed out previous instances where the ruling party had blocked the disclosure of meeting records and questioned whether the Parliament has unlimited rights to demand document submission, especially for issues that were controversial for the opposition.
Meanwhile, the opposition stressed the essentiality of document submission regarding suspicions related to the relocation of the presidential office to Cheong Wa Dae. Democratic Party member Kim Yong-min argued that audits of the Board of Audit and Inspection can only be done by the National Assembly, emphasizing the need for thorough document submission to the Board.
Chairman Jeong called for consultations with staff on the issue of document disclosure to Board Chairman Choi. Despite no change in Chairman Choi’s stance even after about 20 minutes of consultations, Chairman Jeong stated, “We will take measures such as conducting an on-site audit through an afternoon resolution.”
(Photo Description: Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hae answering questions related to document submission from Chairman Jeong Chung-rae at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s audit on the Board at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of the 15th.)