President Lee Jae-myung on the 24th named attorney Choi Kil-soo as his nominee for special inspector, a post that scrutinizes misconduct by the president's relatives and senior aides. The nomination sets in motion the full revival of the presidential oversight body, which has sat vacant for about 10 years since the resignation of Lee Seok-soo, the first special inspector, in 2016.
Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, announced the nomination at a briefing at the Chunchugwan press center. Choi, a member of the 23rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, has served as head of the special investigation division at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, as a prosecutor in the inspection division of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, and as head of the major economic crime investigation team at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. Kang described Choi as "a legal expert with expertise in inspection and in investigating power-linked corruption" and "the right person to block misconduct by the president's relatives and key aides and to restore discipline in public office."
The special inspector, who serves a three-year term, oversees the president's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, and public officials at or above the level of senior secretary in the presidential secretariat. The National Assembly had earlier put forward three candidates: Choi, recommended by the Democratic Party; attorney Kang Ji-sik, recommended by the People Power Party; and attorney Choi Yong-hoon, recommended by the Korean Bar Association. On why President Lee chose the ruling-party candidate over the nominees put forward by the opposition and the bar association, Kang said it was "because he was judged to be a neutral figure not tilted toward any particular party or camp."
Once Choi takes office after a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, the vacancy in the special inspector post that has lasted nearly 10 years will end. Lee Seok-soo, appointed as the first special inspector in March 2015, clashed with the presidential office while inspecting Woo Byung-woo, then the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and resigned in September 2016. No successor was appointed afterward, effectively halting the special inspector system.
Close Watch on President's Relatives and Aides — Guaranteed Powers and Term Are Key
With President Lee's nomination of a special inspector candidate, the countdown has begun to reactivate the system for monitoring the president's relatives and close associates. The special inspector's office is expected to soon form a team to prepare for the confirmation hearing. Given that the first special inspector, Lee, resigned after clashing with the Park Geun-hye administration's presidential office, political and legal circles see how much independence from power can be secured as the factor that will determine the system's effectiveness.
The presidential office assessed Choi as an expert in inspection and voiced expectations, calling him "the right person to enhance trust in public service through oversight of officials without exception." In particular, the presidential office cited as the reason for choosing Choi that he is "a person who will conduct inspections independently in accordance with the law and principle." The move is read as a high assessment of Choi's experience investigating power-linked corruption and inspecting senior officials, having served as head of the special investigation division at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, as head of the Andong branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and as a prosecutor in the inspection division of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office.
His past history of being recommended by an opposition party also appears to have been considered in the nomination process. In 2019, under the Moon Jae-in administration, the then-opposition Bareunmirae Party recommended Choi as its candidate for special inspector under the allocation for three negotiation bloc parties.
In legal circles, there is an assessment that Choi is unlikely to be biased toward any particular camp, given that he has interacted widely with figures from both the ruling and opposition parties. One legal source said, "I understand Choi was close to former President Yoon Suk-yeol, as they were classmates at the Judicial Research and Training Institute," adding, "He is also a classmate of Rep. Lee Sung-yoon, an 'anti-Yoon' figure within the Democratic Party, and the two are on friendly terms; he has generally maintained smooth relationships with those around him."
Discussion of reviving the system gained momentum last July when President Lee stressed the need for a special inspector at a news conference marking 30 days in office. At the time, Lee said, "For the sake of the safety of those who hold power themselves, it is good for power to be checked," adding, "I have ordered the appointment of a special inspector."
The nomination is seen as reflecting the "anti-corruption and public-office discipline" stance that President Lee has recently emphasized. Following the activation of an anti-corruption policy council, restoring an oversight mechanism around the president also carries the symbolism of strengthening checks from within power itself. Still, some point out that the nomination is only the starting point for normalizing the system, and that the inspector's powers and term must be substantively guaranteed to support the inspector's independence.
How to distinguish the role from existing investigative and inspection bodies is another task to resolve. Lee Jae-mook, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "It will have the effect of highlighting transparency through the president's monitoring and checking of his own close associates," while adding, "What matters is how the role will be differentiated from existing investigative and oversight bodies such as the prosecution, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the office of the senior secretary for civil affairs." To carry out its duties, the special inspector can request that related agencies such as the Board of Audit and Inspection, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the National Police Agency, and the National Tax Service second officials, with the number of seconded personnel capped at 20.
PPP Scoffs at Presidential Office's "Neutral Figure" Explanation, Vows Rigorous Scrutiny
The opposition, setting aside Choi's record, took issue with the fact that he was nominated on the recommendation of the ruling party and signaled rigorous scrutiny.
Chung Jom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook that day, "It is presumed that the Democratic Party made the recommendation after prior consultation with and a face-to-face report to the president, out of respect for the president's appointment authority," and said, "The presidential office's explanation that he is 'a neutral figure not tilted toward any particular camp' invites derision." This is read as targeting the ruling party, which had called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, claiming he had nominated a Supreme Court justice candidate without prior consultation with the president.
He said, "It is regrettable that the president did not name the People Power Party's recommended candidate, who had not consulted with the president in advance," and stressed, "The People Power Party will thoroughly vet nominee Choi Kil-soo at the confirmation hearing."
Park Sung-hoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, also issued a statement, saying, "I credit President Lee's decision for reaffirming the principle that the president, his family, and the core of power must also be monitored without exception," while adding, "But when the lid was actually lifted, there is more concern than hope."
He pointed out in particular, "Despite the availability of candidates recommended by the People Power Party and the Korean Bar Association, President Lee ultimately chose attorney Choi Kil-soo, recommended by the ruling Democratic Party," saying, "In effect, he has seated a candidate recommended by the ruling party that upholds the president in a post created to monitor the power of the president and those around him."
He went on, "If President Lee thinks he can pin on a 'power-monitoring president' medal on the single fact of having nominated a special inspector candidate, that is a grave misconception," adding, "The real test of whether his professed intent to 'be monitored starting with myself' is sincere begins now."
Regarding this, Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, drew a line under the neutrality controversy over Choi, saying, "Even under the Park Geun-hye administration, the inspector recommended by the ruling party carried out his duties rigorously."
