The National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee has named the heads of BYD Korea and Tesla Korea as witnesses for this year's parliamentary audit of government agencies. Consumer protection for Chinese electric vehicles and safety concerns over Tesla's driver-assistance features are expected to come under scrutiny.
The committee held a plenary session on the 30th and approved the audit plan along with requests for witnesses and reference witnesses to appear. Ding Haimiao, head of BYD Korea, and Cho In-chul, head of BYD Korea's passenger vehicle division, were named as witnesses to examine consumer protection and after-sales service for vehicles sold in the domestic market. Seo Young-deuk, head of Tesla Korea, was also placed on the witness list over safety issues with driver-assistance systems and the company's response framework. Choi Young-seok, chair of the automobile consumer committee at Consumers' Sovereignty Civil Action, will appear as a reference witness.
The disappearance of regional hub carriers following the merger of three low-cost carriers (LCCs) — Air Busan, Jin Air and Air Seoul — will also be taken up at the audit. The committee named as witnesses Lee Bong-hee, executive director at Korea Development Bank; Choi Jung-ho, vice president at Korean Air; and Suh Sang-hoon, head of Asiana Airlines' strategic planning division. Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party called for Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, and Park Sang-jin, chairman of Korea Development Bank, to be summoned as additional witnesses.
The opposition also renewed calls to summon Kim Yong-beom, former head of the presidential policy office, who led the Lee Jae-myung administration's housing policy. "Housing issues, including rising jeonse (lump-sum deposit) and monthly rents driven by shrinking supply, are the biggest livelihood concern right now," said Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the People Power Party. "Without the former policy chief who led the government's housing policy, it is difficult to properly examine the past year's policy results and the causes of its failures."
The committee plans to decide on additional witnesses, including figures not on the list approved that day, after further consultation between the floor negotiators of the ruling and opposition parties.
