Next Week Audit Results Report Release
On the 6th, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) confirmed legal violations during the relocation process of the presidential office and residence under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and plans to release a report containing related details next week.
A BAI official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "We recently approved the audit report, which includes procedural issues during the presidential office relocation process," adding, "The report will be made public early next week and will contain more detailed information."
According to the BAI, it was confirmed that proper legal procedures were not followed during the selection of contractors and the signing of private contracts for remodeling work at the presidential office. This conclusion came 1 year and 8 months after the BAI began auditing in December 2022 to investigate whether there was abuse of authority or corruption and violations of the National Contract Act during the relocation process. The announcement was delayed as the audit was extended seven times.
In response, the presidential office explained, "Most of the construction work related to the presidential office relocation was contracted and carried out by relevant agencies such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Security Office during the previous administration before the Yoon Suk-yeol government took office."
They added, "High-security facility construction directly related to national security, such as the presidential office, is subject to private contracts under the National Contract Act. However, some procedural shortcomings appear to have been discussed by the BAI due to the urgency of the project, budget, and administrative delays."
Furthermore, the presidential office stated, "After receiving the specific audit results, we plan to review and take action on procedural violations by some contracted companies together with the relevant ministries."
Regarding a security office executive under investigation for personal corruption allegations during the contract process for bulletproof glass installation at the Yongsan Government Complex, the presidential office said, "A prosecution investigation is currently underway," and added, "The individual has already been excluded from their duties. The Security Office will take additional necessary measures based on the investigation results."
Meanwhile, the BAI confirmed MBC's reckless management during the tenure of Presidents Choi Seung-ho and Park Sung-je and decided to urge the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the largest shareholder and supervisory body of MBC, to exercise caution. The BAI also approved an audit report on the KCC and plans to release the related report next week.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
