Lee Jae-myung, the president, on the 7th named attorney Kim Ho-cheol (61) of law firm KLAS Hangyul as the nominee for the new chairperson of the Board of Audit and Inspection. Kim, the successor to former chairperson Choi Jae-hae, who left office on the 11th of last month, must receive parliamentary consent for appointment after a confirmation hearing.
Lee Kyu-yeon, senior secretary for public relations at the presidential office, announced the appointment at a briefing that day. Born in Seoul, Kim graduated from the department of law at Korea University. A member of the 20th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Kim served as president of MIBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society and as co-representative of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements. During the Moon Jae-in administration, Kim served as chairperson of the National Police Commission.
Lee said, "Kim is a leading human rights lawyer who has taken the lead in safeguarding public interest and social values," and noted, "On issues with major social repercussions, such as the creation of the Police Bureau and uncovering the truth of suspicious military deaths, Kim has upheld the public interest and legal principles." Lee added, "Through normalizing the Board of Audit and Inspection, Kim is expected to be the right expert to firmly restore the constitutional values of political neutrality, independence and public trust."
Earlier, the Board of Audit and Inspection's internal body, the "Task Force for Reforming Operations," said that regarding the targeted-audit controversy raised during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, "arbitrary audits" were conducted due to some officials' coercive leadership and inadequate internal controls. It also said there were problems in seven audit processes carried out by the Yoon administration, and filed complaints against former chairperson Choi Jae-hae and former secretary general Yoo Byung-ho (now a commissioner), among others.