The Constitutional Court concluded the impeachment trial proceeding of Audit Commissioner Choi Jae-hae on the 12th in one session and decided to deliver the verdict at a later date.
The court conducted the first trial session for Choi's impeachment at 2 p.m. the same day, about two months after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against him on Dec. 5 last year.
Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae expressed gratitude to both the prosecutors and the respondent (Choi) for their cooperation in concluding the session today by saying, "I particularly thank you for making it possible to end with a single session," and added, "I will inform you of the verdict date separately."
Earlier, the National Assembly cited several reasons for Choi's impeachment, including his remarks indicating that "the Audit Office is an agency that supports the president's administration" and his push for amendments to the rules and laws to grant the Prime Minister the authority to request audits, which undermined the independence of the Audit Office. Other reasons included ▲ targeted audits against the Chair of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission ▲ audits related to the relocation of the presidential office, the shooting of civil servants in the West Sea, the Halloween disaster, violations of the law in the early closure of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, and violations of the Constitution and laws during the audit process against the National Election Commission ▲ refusal to submit materials requested by the National Assembly.
Choi appeared in the courtroom that day and claimed, "The grounds for impeachment are either factually inaccurate or distorted in a one-sided manner, making them difficult to accept." He went on to state, "I have conducted fair operations according to the law and principles to maintain the trust and integrity of the Audit Office, and I performed duties related to the subject of impeachment (the Chair of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission) based on these principles," and also requested, "Please dismiss the impeachment so that the Audit Office can swiftly fulfill its constitutionally mandated responsibilities."
During the hearing, testimonies were taken from Kim Tae-woo, Director General of the Audit Office's Industrial Finance Audit Bureau, and Kim Suk-dong, Director General of the Special Investigation Bureau. When the National Assembly asked, "Is the granting of claim rights to the Prime Minister for the initial execution of the government's agenda by the Yoon Sung-yeol administration?" Kim Tae-woo responded, "It is included in the government's agenda, but we did not amend the claim rights for that purpose." The Audit Office revised its guidelines in June 2022 so that the Prime Minister could also request public interest audits primarily initiated by civic organizations or non-profit private organizations.
Director General Kim stated, "We had considered a plan to grant claim rights well before," and explained, "The guidelines allow the Prime Minister to request an audit from the Audit Office if they believe that a public agency is working unlawfully while directing various administrative departments or public institutions."
During the subsequent testimony session, the National Assembly questioned Director General Kim Suk-dong about the circumstances surrounding the drafting and distribution of press releases regarding the 'West Sea civil servant shooting incident.' Director General Kim participated in the audits related to the 'West Sea civil servant shooting incident' that occurred in September 2020. The National Assembly contends that this press release contained state secrets and that it was inappropriate to disclose it to the outside.
Director General Kim remarked, "The Audit Office comprehensively assessed the seriousness of the incident, public interest objectives, and national interest," stating, "There is no issue with the disclosure, and I believe there are no faults."