Chairman Cho Jung-sik stated he will review the proposal to exclude Lee Jin-sook, a member of the People Power Party, from the national audit.
In an interview with Korean reporters on the last day of his overseas trip on the 13th (local time), Cho said, "The Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee has become chaotic because of this member. If we are to suspend her attendance, we need to consider it through the plenary session. I will review the issues raised during the audit thoroughly."
On the 12th, the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, led by the Democratic Party, adopted a proposal to exclude Lee Jin-sook from the national audit. Exclusion from the audit occurs when a specific committee member has a direct conflict of interest with the audited agency or has significant reasons that prevent them from being impartial.
The ruling coalition argued that there is a potential conflict of interest because the matters being audited relate to decisions and tasks Lee made while serving as the chair of the Korea Communications Commission.
If the exclusion proposal is passed, the member's participation in the audit or investigation will be halted, but if the member objects, it must be approved by the plenary session.
Meanwhile, Chairman Cho commented on the processing of next year's government budget, stating, "The National Assembly will review the government budget thoroughly to ensure it is processed within the legal deadline."
Regarding the ongoing standoff between the ruling and opposition parties, he added, "We must ensure that the filibuster does not hinder the passage of legislation related to people's livelihoods and the economy. We will aim to process as many livelihood bills as possible within the current session, especially those that have passed through the Judiciary Committee."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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