Korean Lawmaker Excluded from National Audit Amid Conflict of Interest Claims

The National Assembly's Science and Technology Committee voted on October 12 to exclude Lee Jin-sook, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, from the national audit of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Committee. The decision was based on claims that Lee, a former chair of the Korea Communications Commission, could face a conflict of interest by auditing matters she was involved in during her tenure.

During the committee meeting, a secret ballot was held regarding Lee's exclusion. The People Power Party boycotted the vote in protest. The motion passed with all 12 votes in favor, resulting in Lee being barred from participating in the audit.

Members of the ruling Democratic Party held a press conference stating, "The decision to exclude Lee is a necessary step for a fair national audit," emphasizing that it would undermine fairness if a decision-maker were to audit their own actions. They noted that Lee was involved in decisions as chair and that other officials who participated in those decisions might feel constrained in their responses.

They also mentioned that the committee had previously requested Lee to recuse herself multiple times, including a resolution passed on September 8 urging her to refrain from speaking or voting on matters she was involved in. Despite the committee chair's attempts to limit her inquiries due to conflict of interest concerns, Lee continued to raise similar questions, leading the committee to conclude that mere requests for recusal would not ensure a fair audit.

Lee strongly opposed the exclusion decision, criticizing it as an attempt by the Democratic Party to forcibly strip her of her auditing authority granted by the public. She stated, "Having a majority does not equate to justice," and argued that there was no logical basis for the exclusion, asserting that it was a reaction to her mentioning illegal actions related to the president's cemetery project during the audit.