The National Assembly Operations Committee passed a motion on the 14th to request an audit of the National Human Rights Commission. The targets of the audit are Commissioner Kim Yong-won and Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho. Previously, the Human Rights Commission caused controversy by passing a recommendation stating that President Yoon Suk-yeol's right to defense must be protected.
The Operations Committee held a general meeting that day and adopted the motion requesting an audit to the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding 'the constitutional infringement and insurrection propaganda activities of the National Human Rights Commission, including Commissioner Kim Yong-won.' Members of the ruling party did not attend the full meeting of the Operations Committee, claiming the agenda was not discussed.
Earlier, the Human Rights Commission held a plenary meeting on the 10th and deliberated on the 'recommendation for measures to overcome the national crisis caused by the declaration of martial law,' which was modified and passed. This agenda was proposed last month under the leadership of Commissioner Kim Yong-won. He stated on his social media, 'If the Constitutional Court impeaches the president against the will of the sovereign people, they must smash the Constitutional Court and erase it without a trace.'
The agenda mainly focuses on strengthening President Yoon's right to defense in the impeachment trial by the Constitutional Court. Specifically, it addresses the strict adherence to legal procedure principles comparable to criminal trials during the impeachment process, consideration of non-custodial investigations and trials for those related to the declaration of martial law, and ensuring thorough examination of any abuse of impeachment proposals against Minister Park Sung-jae.
The opposition party raised criticisms against Commissioner Kim regarding the proposed agenda. Jeon Yong-ki, a member of the Operations Committee, noted, 'In the case of Commissioner Kim, not only is there incitement to insurrection, but very political and autocratic behaviors are being observed within the Human Rights Commission,' and added, 'There are very serious insults and various situations occurring even in internal meetings.'
Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho was included in the audit targets due to alleged flaws in the Human Rights Commission's meeting procedures. Shin Jang-sik, a member of the Justice Party, remarked, 'The adopted resolution does not constitute an agenda that can be addressed by the National Human Rights Commission as stipulated in the National Human Rights Commission Act,' stating that 'Chairperson Ahn can sufficiently be a subject of audit for violating portions of the Human Rights Commission Act.'
The Operations Committee also adopted a motion urging the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice Ma Eun-hyeok. The resolution supports a request for a judgment on the dispute over the authority concerning the appointment of the candidate and calls for an immediate appointment.
Park Chan-dae, the representative of the Democratic Party and chair of the Operations Committee, explained the intent of the resolution, stating, 'The National Assembly can challenge the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the inaction on the appointment of Justice Ma Eun-hyeok by the government and the presidential office officials,' and emphasized, 'If Acting President Choi Sang-mok commits a clear constitutional violation, we will not overlook it.'