Opposition Demands State Audit on Illegal Relocation of Presidential Office and Kim Geon-hee's Nomination Interference at the Steering Committee

Yoon Jong-gun "Presidential Office and Residence Under Operations Committee Jurisdiction"
Ruling and Opposition Parties Debate Over Submission of Bill Limiting Presidential Veto Rights

The Democratic Party of Korea on the 25th demanded a parliamentary investigation into the illegal suspicions surrounding the relocation of the presidential office and residence, which was disclosed by the Board of Audit and Inspection, as well as suspicions of Kim Geon-hee's interference in the general election.

Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Jong-gun said at the National Assembly Steering Committee on the same day, "You must have seen the Board of Audit and Inspection's results on the relocation of the presidential office and residence," and added, "The audit report showed that the entire relocation process was not only illegal and unlawful but also lawless." He continued, "Although the Board of Audit and Inspection's results are handled by the Legislative and Judiciary Committee, which is the committee in charge of the Board of Audit and Inspection, illegal matters related to the presidential office and residence fall under the jurisdiction of the Steering Committee," and requested, "Regardless of the schedule of the national audit, I ask that a parliamentary investigation be promptly pursued through consultation between the ruling and opposition party floor leaders."

Park Chan-dae, Chairman of the National Assembly Steering Committee, is striking the gavel at the plenary meeting of the Steering Committee held at the National Assembly on the 25th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Lawmaker Yoon stated, "It was confirmed that a government agency contracted services without a contract, and it was also confirmed that public construction was carried out without a license," and argued, "The Presidential Secretariat's excuse that time was tight is unacceptable. If time was tight and the budget was insufficient, the relocation should not have been carried out." On the 12th, the Board of Audit and Inspection revealed cases where a senior official of the Presidential Security Service was found to have committed misconduct during the construction process of relocating the presidential office and residence, and that laws related to contracts and construction were not followed. President Yoon Suk-yeol moved the office and residence from the Blue House to Yongsan after his inauguration in May 2022.

Additionally, Lawmaker Yoon said, "Suspicions of Kim Geon-hee's interference in the general election nominations are emerging daily," and added, "If the media reports are true, this is a serious violation of the constitution and an act of state power manipulation." He continued, "Illegal acts by the president, the president's spouse, and the president's relatives fall under the jurisdiction of the Presidential Secretariat, and the Secretariat is under our committee's jurisdiction." Since these matters occurred within the Presidential Secretariat, the Steering Committee should push for a parliamentary investigation into Kim Geon-hee.

Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader and chair of the Steering Committee, ordered the ruling and opposition party floor leaders of the Steering Committee to discuss the matter following Lawmaker Yoon's request for a parliamentary investigation.

During the meeting, the ruling party also expressed opposition to the opposition party's submission of bills to the subcommittee. Bae Jun-young, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party and the ruling party's floor leader, said, "Many bills that have not been agreed upon by both parties were submitted to today's meeting," and added, "The special law concerning the president's veto power exercise was flawed from the procedure and was mistaken from the start." Deputy Floor Leader Bae also emphasized that laws concerning the president's veto should be discussed in the Legislative and Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Ministry of Government Legislation and the Ministry of Justice.

Deputy Floor Leader Bae said, "Even if we concede and assign it to the Steering Committee, shouldn't the opinions of the Ministry in charge, the Presidential Office, be reflected in the review report?" He added, "However, the opinions of the Presidential Office are not reflected anywhere. This bill infringes on the constitutionally guaranteed powers of the president and seriously violates the principle of separation of powers." In response, Park Sung-joon, the Democratic Party senior deputy floor leader, countered, "The president exercising veto power on matters related to himself and his family is not in line with the principle of checks and balances," and said, "There was a strong voice that this should be amended, which is why such a law was proposed."

Deputy Floor Leader Bae also raised objections to the submission of bills concerning the National Assembly Act, which restricts the resignation or dismissal of the subject of impeachment motions, and bills related to testimony and appraisal in the National Assembly. As the bills submitted that day were referred to the subcommittee within the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee was adjourned.