Special inspector nominee Choi Gil-soo is expected to begin work soon as his appointment moves forward, reviving an office that has been dormant since 2016. Friction over how far his investigative powers reach appears likely, with rival parties unable to agree on the scope of oversight.
The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee adopted the confirmation hearing report on Choi at a plenary session on the 22nd. Once President Lee Jae-myung approves the appointment, Choi will take office as the second special inspector. The committee held Choi's confirmation hearing on Sept. 18, but adoption of the report was delayed for about a month because of disagreement between the parties.
The report carried both the favorable opinion submitted by one side and the unfavorable opinion submitted by the other. The favorable assessment cited Choi's stated commitment to maintaining political neutrality and independence, as well as his pledge to restore the special inspector's office to normal operation. The unfavorable assessment argued that the nomination process left his oversight work short of genuine independence.
The special inspector investigates misconduct by individuals with close ties to the president. Although the office sits directly under the president, the law grants it independent standing in carrying out its duties. Its jurisdiction covers the president's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree of kinship and officials at or above the rank of senior presidential secretary. Officials assigned to the National Security Office are among those excluded.
Political differences over the scope of oversight remain sharp. During Choi's confirmation hearing, the People Power Party called for an investigation into Kim Hyun-ji, head of the first presidential secretariat office, while the Democratic Party of Korea countered that any review should extend to whether the Yoon Suk-yeol administration interfered in personnel decisions. Choi declined to commit to either position at the time, saying both required further review. Under current law, direct investigation of aides below the rank of senior presidential secretary or of officials from a previous administration both run into legal limits.
Lee is expected to approve the appointment as soon as the confirmation report is transmitted from the National Assembly. Choi completed the 23rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and 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 unit at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office.