Ruling Party Recommends Choi Gil-su as Presidential Special Inspector, Filling 10-Year Vacancy?

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recommended lawyer Choi Gil-su on the 31st as a candidate for special inspector for President Lee Jae-myung. The People Power Party had already put forward lawyer Kang Ji-sik as its candidate, accelerating the nomination process.
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the DPK, and other floor leadership members held a press briefing at the National Assembly that day and announced Choi's recommendation as a special inspector candidate. They also said, "Since the People Power Party has already nominated a candidate, it should move to normalize the special inspector system without attaching conditions," and added, "We will quickly complete the National Assembly's recommendation process before the regular session begins in September."
The special inspector is responsible for continuously monitoring misconduct by the president's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree, and senior officials at the presidential office and above. The first special inspector, Lee Seok-soo, was appointed under the Park Geun-hye administration, but after resigning in 2016, the post has remained vacant through the Moon Jae-in administration, the Yoon Suk Yeol government, and the current Lee Jae-myung administration. Since taking office, President Lee has repeatedly asked the National Assembly to recommend candidates for the special inspector post, while the People Power Party nominated lawyer Kang Ji-sik in April and urged the recommendation process to begin.
Once a total of three candidates are selected, including one recommended by the Korean Bar Association (KBA), President Lee must appoint one of them as special inspector within three days of receiving the official recommendation. The nominee chosen by the president is then appointed after a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. If the recommendation process is completed in August, the confirmation hearing is expected to take place during the regular session of the National Assembly.
The DPK stressed that Choi is well suited for the role of overseeing senior officials, citing his experience as chief prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office's special crimes unit, head of the Andong branch office under the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and a member of the inspection division at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. It also highlighted that the Bareunmirae Party, then in opposition during the Moon Jae-in administration, had once recommended him as a candidate, arguing that he is a nonpartisan figure.

[email protected] Kim Yun-ho Reporter