Over-defense, Lee Jin-sook’s exclusion led by a decision… National Power “Request for Authority Dispute Adjudication” (comprehensive)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jaeha Park = On the 12th, the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee of the National Assembly decided, led by the ruling party, to exclude Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the People Power Party from the audit of state affairs by the Korea Media and Communications Committee.

On this day, the National Police and Defense Committee held a general meeting during the National Assembly inspection and passed the motion to exclude Rep. Lee through an anonymous vote, with 12 in favor out of a total of 12 votes. The People Power Party did not participate in the vote.

In government audits, exclusion is a device that prevents certain audit committee members from participating in the audit or investigation limited to those cases if they have a direct interest in the audited organization or if there are significant reasons for not being fair.

The ruling party, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the Fatherland Innovation Party, requested that Rep. Lee submit the exclusion bill, saying that there is a possibility of a conflict of interest as the matters decided and the work performed during his term as chairman of the Korea Communications Commission were subject to audit on this day.

On the other hand, the People Power Party countered that there was no reason for the exclusion, saying that the National Assembly had already determined that Rep. Lee's assignment to over-defense was not a conflict of interest.

Song Ki-heon, chairman of the Democratic Party's National Defense Committee, said before submitting the exclusion bill, "It amounts to a conflict of interest," and suggested, "Isn't it right to avoid the state audit of the U.S. Visit to the United States and the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Standards Commission?" Rep. Lee declined, saying, "I have no intention of avoiding it."

Accordingly, at the request of the Democratic Party, a proposal to change the agenda to submit the agenda was submitted and passed with 12 votes in favor and 5 abstentions.

Ahead of the vote on the exclusion plan on this day, Rep. Lee said, "I do not believe that the fact that I served as the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission is grounds for avoiding or excluding me from the National Assembly audit," and added, "I think it is tyranny of the majority and dictatorship of the Democratic Party to forcibly exclude me by vote just because there are a majority of Democratic Party members."

In addition, Rep. Lee foreshadowed the objection, saying, “Even if it is decided here, if an objection is raised, it must be resolved at the plenary session.”

According to the Act on Audit and Investigation of Government Administration, if an exclusion bill is passed, the audit or investigation of the member concerned must be stopped and another member must conduct the audit or investigation.

However, it is stipulated that if there is an objection from the relevant member in this regard, it must be resolved at the plenary session.

After the exclusion plan was passed, the two parties continued their battle outside the venue.

People Power Party members of the National Assembly held a press conference immediately after the decision to exclude them and said, "Today's incident is an unprecedented outrage that deprived members of the National Assembly of their right to audit government affairs, which is their inherent authority granted by the Constitution. We will file a request for an authority dispute judgment against the Democratic Party members who led this decision and the chairman of the National Assembly who reviewed it."

Rep. Choi Hyeong-du of the People Power Party, the opposition party's secretary, warned, "If an objection is raised, it must be resolved at the plenary session, and during that period, the standing committee chair or Democratic Party members have no authority to block Rep. Lee's inspection of the National Assembly. If they block (the inquiry), we will not remain silent."

In a press conference, members of the pan-ruling ruling party also emphasized, "If the party involved in the past decision audits that decision, there is a great concern that fairness will be harmed," and "excluding this member is a decision to ensure a fair audit of government affairs."

A spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea's Cho Gye-won also criticized in a written briefing, "Rep. Lee should stop raising the controversy over conflict of interest and step down from the audit of matters he was involved in," and added, "The state audit is not a place to defend his past actions, but a place to reveal the legality and responsibility of the exercise of authority in front of the public."