Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, "Grateful for Wise Decision... Focus on Establishing Public Service Discipline" (Comprehensive)

"In a Turbulent Political Situation,
It Is Crucial for Public Officials to Fulfill Their Duties"

Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is arriving at the Board of Audit and Inspection in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 13th. On the same day, the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motion against Chairman Choi. March 13, 2025. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

On the 13th, the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment motion against Choi Jae-hae, the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, allowing him to return to his duties after 98 days.

On the same day, immediately after the Constitutional Court's dismissal of the impeachment trial in the morning, Chairman Choi moved directly from the official residence to the Board of Audit and Inspection to begin work.

Upon arriving at the Board of Audit and Inspection right after the court's decision, Chairman Choi met with reporters in front of the main entrance of the headquarters and said, "I am grateful to the Constitutional Court justices for making a wise decision," adding, "In such a turbulent political situation, it is more important than anything for public officials to fulfill their responsibilities."

Chairman Choi emphasized, "Upon my return, I will focus on establishing public service discipline for the time being to ensure that the public does not feel uneasy, and will operate the Board of Audit and Inspection accordingly."

Earlier, the impeachment motion against Chairman Choi, proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea, passed the National Assembly plenary session on December 5 of last year. Chairman Choi was subjected to the impeachment trial on charges including inadequate audits of the relocation of the presidential office and official residence, and conducting targeted audits against former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee. This is the first case where an impeachment motion against the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection passed in the National Assembly, resulting in suspension of duties. At that time, upon suspension of duties due to the National Assembly's approval of the impeachment motion, Chairman Choi expressed deep regret through a statement, saying, "I deeply regret that the political impeachment process has caused serious harm to the independence of the nation's highest audit institution, the Board of Audit and Inspection."

Due to Chairman Choi's suspension of duties, the authority of the chairman was temporarily transferred in order of the longest-serving audit committee members according to the Board of Audit and Inspection Act. Audit Committee Member Cho Eun-seok acted as the interim chairman, and after his term expired on January 17 of this year, Committee Member Kim In-hoe (whose term expires on December 5 next year) took over.

An official from the Board of Audit and Inspection stated, "After Chairman Choi's return, he will immediately receive handover briefings, assess current issues, and receive work reports by department. He will also prepare for the Audit Committee, the final decision-making body," adding, "During the suspension period, many audit requests were received, and he must preside over the scheduled Audit Committee meeting next week."