Democratic Party nominates ex-prosecutor Choi Gil-soo as special inspector candidate

The Democratic Party has nominated Choi Gil-soo, a lawyer and former prosecutor, as its candidate for the Presidential Office's special inspector. This move officially begins the appointment process, which has been pending for over a year since President Lee Jae-myung first requested a recommendation from the National Assembly in July of the previous year.

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The Democratic Party and I have no special relationship, and considering his work location and background, he is the most neutral individual who can guarantee fairness and objectivity.

The Democratic Party's acting leader and floor leader, Han Byung-do, stated that Choi was chosen for his neutrality, fairness, and objectivity, citing his background and work location. The special inspector's duties include monitoring for any misconduct by the president's spouse, relatives, and civil servants at the level of presidential senior secretary or higher.

This nomination follows a recommendation from the People Power Party in April, which put forward lawyer Kang Ji-sik, also a former prosecutor. The Democratic Party aims to finalize its recommendation process by August. The National Assembly is expected to recommend three candidates in total, with the president then selecting one after a confirmation hearing. The position has been vacant for ten years since the resignation of the first special inspector, Lee Seok-soo, in 2016.

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We will proceed with the appointment quickly according to the procedures.

People Power Party floor leader Jung Jin-suk expressed some skepticism, suggesting the nomination might be an attempt to divert public attention from anger over the abolition of supplementary investigation powers. However, he welcomed the nomination itself. The leaders of both parties had previously agreed on a plan where the Democratic Party and the People Power Party would each recommend one candidate, and the Korean Bar Association would recommend the third.

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We also have suspicions that this might be an attempt to divert attention to quell public anger over the abolition of supplementary investigation powers, but we welcome the nomination now that it has been made.