Kim Hocheol, New Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection: "Firm Independence and Neutrality... Resolute Against External Pressure and Interference"

Inaugural Address by Kim Hocheol, New Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection
"Special Investigation Bureau to Be Restructured as a Unit Specialized in Personnel Inspections and Corruption Prevention"
"Fostering a Horizontal and Healthy Organizational Culture"

Kim Hocheol, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, stated, "I will restore public trust by firmly ensuring the independence and political neutrality of the Board of Audit and Inspection." By mentioning the controversies surrounding political and targeted audits, he identified the restoration of independence and neutrality as the top priority for the agency's operations.

Yonhap News

In his inaugural address on January 2, Chairman Kim said, "If the Board of Audit and Inspection fails to quickly dispel concerns about its independence and neutrality, its proud history will be diminished. As Chairman, I will resolutely respond to any external pressure or interference." Kim, a human rights lawyer who previously served as president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), received parliamentary approval for his appointment on December 30. His term is four years.

Chairman Kim also pledged to reform the agency's main decision-making structure. He stated, "All major decisions of the Board of Audit and Inspection will be finalized only through resolutions by the Audit Committee," adding, "We will not conduct excessive policy audits that provoke unnecessary political controversy and side effects." This indicates his intention to reduce situations where audits are seen as policy judgments, leading to political disputes.

In particular, Chairman Kim addressed the Special Investigation Bureau, an organization often at the center of controversies over political and targeted audits, promising to "completely restructure it into a unit specialized in personnel inspections and corruption prevention." He emphasized, "I will ensure that Board of Audit and Inspection staff remain unwavering and serve the entire public as impartial auditors under any circumstances."

He also promised to strengthen external oversight and transparency. Chairman Kim said, "By reflecting the needs for audits from the public and the National Assembly, and by transparently releasing audit information, we will actively communicate with the public and heed their will to restore the trust of the sovereign people." This is interpreted as an effort to minimize procedural fairness controversies during the initiation and disclosure of audit results.

Chairman Kim diagnosed that the trust crisis facing the Board of Audit and Inspection stems not only from its "results" but also from its "processes." He said, "No matter how good the audit results are, if there are flaws in the process, their legitimacy and persuasiveness can be seriously undermined. I have felt this acutely," adding, "It is essential to establish a high-level self-regulation system that anyone can trust."

To this end, he pledged to strengthen internal inspection organizations and functions, and to "eradicate anti-human rights audit practices, such as staff misconduct and high-handed auditing." He also called for "strict adherence to due process and respect for the rights and dignity of those being audited, upholding the proper standards of auditors" in the field, and announced plans to improve internal verification systems, such as pre-verification of audit reports.

Chairman Kim said, "We must humbly accept the criticism that excessive audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection make the civil service rigid and burden the sovereign people," suggesting the possibility of adjusting the intensity and methods of audits. Addressing the organization internally, he said, "I will foster a horizontal and healthy organizational culture based on communication and harmony among members," and "I will establish a fair and transparent personnel system where evaluations are based solely on work performance and results." He concluded, "Let us make 2026 the starting point for a trusted Board of Audit and Inspection that stands upright. I will take the lead, so let us unite our efforts."