Former audit agency chief joins main opposition party as prelude for presidential bid

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, left, speaks during a welcome ceremony held by the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to mark Choe's joining the party, held at its headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. On the right is PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok. Joint Press Corps

Ruling bloc slams Choe for damaging BAI's political neutrality

By Jung Da-min

Former Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, a potential presidential contender for the opposition bloc, joined the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Thursday, in what seems to be a prelude to his official declaration to run for president next year.

Choe's joining the main opposition party came 17 days after he resigned from the top auditor post and eight days after he told media that he would enter the political arena. This is the first case of a strong presidential hopeful joining the main opposition party, as former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, another strong contender who has been leading polls of presidential hopefuls, has yet to decide whether to join.

The PPP announced Choe's joining the party after he met PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok and other members of the leadership at its headquarters in Seoul.

“Since I decided to enter the political arena, I've drawn the conclusion that I should join a political party to become a subject of change in politics, rather than looking at it from a critical perspective outside the party,” Choe said during a ceremony held by the PPP to mark his membership.

“In a reality where all of the people suffer, the most important goal is leadership change and I believe the main opposition PPP should be at the center of realizing this.”

Choe said the country was too divided, and various policies that had been introduced with good intentions were not working out properly in practice, resulting in the people suffering. He said he would pursue change and coexistence as his political values.

With the former audit agency chief moving closer to making a presidential bid with the main opposition party as his political base, the composition of the opposition bloc's presidential hopefuls is expected to change. Some PPP members have expressed support for Choe as an alternative to Yoon.

Choe has emerged as a strong presidential contender as he had been at odds with Cheong Wa Dae and the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) over the BAI's audit into the Moon Jae-in administration's policy to close the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor prematurely. One of Moon's campaign pledges was to phase out the use of nuclear energy and expand that of renewable resources.

He offered to resign from the top auditor position June 28, bringing expectations he would run in the presidential election for the opposition. He has a reputation for transparency due to his long career as a judge and then BAI chairman.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong, left, fills out an online application form to join the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) at the party headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, with PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok helping. Joint Press Corps

The DPK and the progressive minor opposition Justice Party criticized Choe for undermining the political neutrality of the BAI.

“Choe's resignation from the BAI chairmanship and his immediate entry into politics is unconstitutional and undermines the political neutrality of the state audit agency,” DPK spokesman Kim Jin-wook said in a written commentary. “I would like to ask Choe if it is okay to undermine the political neutrality and independence of the BAI, which are core values of democracy. It is tragic that Choe wants to become a representative of the people after damaging such values.”

Justice Party spokesman Lee Dong-yeong said, “Choe's expressing his intention to enter into politics and joining a political party is a meaningful choice and it is his freedom and right to choose a political party that suits his political values. But Choe should have apologized first before joining the main opposition party, as he seriously undermined the neutrality and independence of the BAI by resigning before his tenure as chairman ended, for his presidential bid.”