The Seoul Citizen Audit Ombudsman Commission, which is conducting a resident-requested audit into allegations surrounding former Seongdong District Mayor Chung Won-oh's overseas business trips, said on the 16th that it asks for its independence to be respected. The statement came a day after Democratic Party lawmakers raised allegations of a politically targeted audit at a parliamentary audit of the Seoul city government and called on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to examine whether the audit was lawful.
In the statement released the same day, the commission said it exercises its authority over the acceptance, conduct and conclusion of resident-requested audit cases independently, in line with procedures set out in relevant laws and ordinances.
While saying it respects the legitimate checks and oversight functions of the parliamentary audit, the commission stressed that the resident audit request system is a separate legal procedure established under the Local Autonomy Act and related ordinances, and that decisions on whether to accept, proceed with or close such cases rest with the commission alone.
The commission also said there were no flaws in the audit procedure. According to the commission, the resident audit concerning Chung was requested on April 6 with the joint signatures of more than 150 residents, and began after a review committee examined the eligibility requirements and voted to accept the case on June 25.
Responding to criticism that the audit overlaps with an ongoing criminal investigation, the commission said it has excluded matters falling within the judgment of investigative authorities and is reviewing only items that can be verified through objective records, such as administrative procedures and budget execution. It added that this approach is consistent with the interpretation of the government ministry overseeing the relevant laws.
The commission said it is conducting the audit based on laws and objective facts, without regard to the political interests of any party or individual, and that it will disclose the findings once the audit is complete.
The commission's emphasis on independence and procedural legitimacy follows the dispute over an allegedly targeted audit raised a day earlier at the parliamentary audit of the Seoul city government.
Democratic Party lawmaker Chae Hyun-il took issue with the fact that the commission, after opening an audit into allegations over Chung's overseas trips three years ago, exceeded the statutory audit period and extended it twice. Noting that matters under criminal investigation should be excluded from audits and that the filing window for a resident audit request had already passed, Chae said the case should have been dismissed because of procedural defects and a failure to meet legal requirements, but was instead pushed through. He added that the mayor should also examine the legal requirements, and called for the audit to be dismissed.
Lee Hae-sik, a lawmaker from the same party, described the audit as a politically targeted one and demanded that it be halted. He also pointed to the criminal complaints exchanged between Chung and People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-sup, who raised the allegations about Chung's overseas trips, questioning the political intent behind the audit.
Oh pushed back, stressing that the commission is an independent collegiate administrative body. "The Seoul mayor is not in a position to order an audit on a specific matter," he said. He added that the principle is to proceed with an audit once a certain number of citizens file a request. "Because we competed in an election, an audit should not go forward in violation of the ordinance, but it would also be problematic for him to receive favors or benefits," he said.