Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Gwang-jae [Provided by lawmaker's office]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Gwang-jae [Provided by lawmaker's office]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Gwang-jae, who represents Hanam-gap in Gyeonggi Province, introduced a bill Monday to reform the Board of Audit and Inspection, aiming to eliminate what he described as targeted, retaliatory audits of policy decisions made by previous administrations and to protect civil servants who take initiative in their work.

Lee said the Board of Audit and Inspection is a constitutional body with the authority to inspect the conduct of civil servants. However, he argued that the agency has repeatedly abused that power — using so-called policy audits to retroactively punish major decisions made by preceding governments whenever a new administration takes office, undermining policy continuity and chilling the broader civil service.

The board revised its internal rules in December last year to restrict audits targeting the merits of policy decisions, but critics noted that the change carried little weight as a subordinate administrative directive that any future administration could easily reverse.

The proposed amendment would enshrine in law an explicit exemption from the board's inspection authority for "the merits of important government policy decisions," directly blocking targeted audits aimed at the policy choices of previous administrations.

However, the bill also includes safeguards against abuse. A proviso clause preserves the board's existing authority to investigate clear cases of illegal conduct or corruption that arise during the policy-making process, ensuring no blind spots are created in oversight.

Should the bill pass the National Assembly floor, it is expected to curb politically motivated audits, secure the board's neutrality, and create an environment in which civil servants can work with conviction without fear of being audited after a change of government.

"Whether a policy succeeded or failed, and whether it was sound, should be judged by the people through elections and evaluated by the National Assembly — not prosecuted after the fact by legal or audit standards," Lee said. "Through this amendment, we will break the vicious cycle of retaliatory audits and ensure civil servants can carry out their duties without fear of punishment. We will transform the Board of Audit and Inspection into what the Constitution intended it to be: an institution focused on rigorous financial auditing and the strict investigation of public corruption."


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