Lee Jae-myung "Local Governments Should Stop National Audits... Will Refuse Data Requests Starting Next Year"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, argued that the National Assembly's state audit of local governments' autonomous affairs without grounds should now be stopped.

On the night of the 18th, a day before the audit, Lee posted on Facebook, stating, "Our country implements local autonomy, and administrative audits of local governments, which are formed through elections based on the Constitution, are conducted by local councils," adding, "The National Assembly only has the authority to conduct 'state' audits and does not have audit authority over local governments' autonomous affairs."

He further said, "Current laws also limit the scope of audits to state-delegated affairs and projects supported by the national budget," advising, "Since the National Assembly is the place where laws are made, it should take the lead in obeying the law and must adhere even better to the laws it creates."

However, Lee criticized, "(Looking at the current National Assembly) it is requesting audit materials even for autonomous affairs of independent local governments without authority, and even for the business promotion expenses of affiliated city, county, and district heads," comparing it to "a grandmother-in-law not only interfering with her daughter-in-law's kitchen affairs but also demanding an investigation into the kitchen of the daughter-in-law's grandson."

He continued, "For several days, not only Gyeonggi Province officials but also city and county officials have been unable to sleep while preparing thousands of requested materials for the (state) audit," adding, "It is rare to receive questions early; they are usually given the night before or sometimes not at all, so staying up all night organizing answers and preparing expected question responses has become routine."

He went on, "Tonight (the 18th), they said they will give me the questions at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow (the 19th) after preparing answers all night, so I also have to wake up early tomorrow to review the answers and prepare for the audit," expressing concern, "The day after tomorrow (the 20th) is the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's state audit, so I will have to fight through another all-nighter tomorrow night."

Especially, he said, "Our officials, who are already struggling with African swine fever to the point of risking their lives and exhausted from responding to COVID-19, are already worried about what might happen tonight and tomorrow night," adding, "Just like the illegal occupation of valleys, state audits of 'autonomous affairs' have been repeatedly conducted for decades despite knowing they are illegal. Although we have accepted this to avoid appearing peculiar, from next year, to protect our officials who are struggling so much and to ensure a principled and fair world where laws and principles are observed, I will seriously consider declining state audits (requests for materials and Q&A) on autonomous affairs."

He also added, "I am curious about what judgment the Constitutional Court will make regarding the National Assembly's 'state audit' without legal grounds on 'autonomous affairs of autonomous governments,' which is the state audit institution."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee will conduct state audits on Gyeonggi Province on the 19th and 20th, respectively. It is the first time in four years since 2016 that two National Assembly committees are conducting audits on Gyeonggi Province. In response, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Employees' Union has recently issued consecutive statements strongly opposing the audits, questioning for whom the audits are conducted during the severe times of COVID-19.

A union official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government said, "This year, due to COVID-19 and other difficulties, employees are working almost overnight preparing not only for the provincial council's administrative audit but also for the National Assembly's audit," asserting, "The National Assembly's state audit of local governments' autonomous affairs must now be stopped."