[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The National Assembly Steering Committee's audit of the Blue House Secretariat, originally scheduled for the 29th, has been postponed to the 4th of next month. This came after some Blue House officials, including Seo Hoon, Director of the National Security Office, notified their absence from the audit, prompting opposition party backlash.
On the same day, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, told reporters, "It is meaningless to proceed with the Blue House audit without the participation of the National Security Office personnel," adding, "Tomorrow, after the self-quarantine of Seo Hoon, the National Security Office chief, and the delegation returning from the U.S. ends, both parties have agreed to hold the audit with the participation of the National Security Office chief on Wednesday, November 4."
The day before, seven officials including Seo Hoon, Kim Jong-ho, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, Yoo Yeon-sang, Chief of the Presidential Security Service, Noh Kyu-duk, Secretary for Peace Planning, Lee Seong-ryeol, Director of the National Crisis Management Center, and Park Cheol-min, Secretary for Foreign Policy, submitted letters of absence to the Steering Committee.
Upon receiving the letters, Floor Leader Joo expressed displeasure, saying, "Seven people notified their absence last night; does this make any sense? I hope they maintain the basic dignity of the National Assembly. At this rate, the audit cannot proceed." Consequently, the Blue House audit by the National Assembly Steering Committee, scheduled to open at 10 a.m. that day, was unable to convene even past 10:30 a.m.
The floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties met in the Steering Committee chairman's office that morning and agreed to postpone the audit schedule.
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