AnalysisAudit starts Monday to scrutinize gov’t operations, policy
Signs marking seats for government officials are placed at a table in the National Assembly in Seoul Friday, ahead of a parliamentary audit. Yonhap
The National Assembly will begin a four-week audit on Monday, with a data center fire, a U.S. trade deal, and the Lee Jae Myung administration’s cash handouts among the issues under scrutiny.
A total of 17 committees will audit 834 government agencies through Nov. 6, reviewing operations and summoning officials, business leaders and other witnesses for questioning.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has defined this year’s audit as an effort to “eradicate the remnants of the coup,” referring to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law last December.
The People Power Party (PPP) — the main opposition, which typically takes a combative stance during the audit — set up an audit control center on Friday to scrutinize the Lee administration’s governance, now in its fourth month.
Here are the key issues expected this year.
Police officers inspect charred lithium-ion batteries at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, Sept 30. Yonhap
Last month’s fire at the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, which manages government data, disrupted most online administrative services, exposing major flaws in the state’s data backup systems.
On Oct. 10, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said that 231 of 709 government systems had been restored — a 32.5 percent recovery rate.
On the same day, the PPP called on the DPK to launch a parliamentary investigation into the blaze, arguing that this year’s audit should thoroughly review the government’s failures and hold accountable those responsible.
The audit’s mandate extends beyond domestic shortcomings to encompass a review of the administration’s recent trade agreements.
In July, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that he had agreed to reduce the blanket tariff on Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for a $350 billion investment from Korea, calling it a “full and complete trade deal.”
However, differences soon emerged between Seoul and Washington over the details of the investment, including its structure and profit-sharing terms.
To bridge the gap, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in New York earlier this month. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol is also set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, D.C., this month.
The PPP warned that the prolonged deadlock in tariff talks is hurting the economy and vowed to conduct a thorough audit of the issue.
Containers are stacked at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 1. Yonhap
The main opposition party also pledged to rigorously scrutinize the government’s economic policies over the past four months, accusing the ruling party of unilaterally advancing measures such as the “yellow envelope law,” which expands labor protections and union rights, and corporate tax increases.
It also blamed the government for fueling inflation through its cash handouts issued from July to October, which offered 150,000 won ($104.93) to 450,000 won per person depending on income, and promised sharper scrutiny of its economic policies.
One of the key flashpoints in the audit’s first week will be the DPK’s plan to summon Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae as a witness.
The ruling party will hold an on-site audit at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, arguing that the court’s May decision — which overturned then-presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung’s acquittal and sent the case back for retrial — amounted to judicial interference in the election.
Although it is not customary for the chief justice to be directly questioned during the Assembly’s audit, the ruling party said there would be no exceptions this time.
The PPP denounced the move as “a constitutional violation,” calling it a clear overreach of legislative power aimed at controlling the judiciary.
Meanwhile, Lee has instructed government ministries and agencies to fully cooperate with the Assembly’s regular audit.
“The president ordered the government to respond to the National Assembly’s requests, regardless of political affiliation, and to take immediate corrective actions where necessary,” the presidential office said, Sunday.