With Democratic Party Nomination of Special Inspector, Blue House Says "Immediate Appointment Upon National Assembly Recommendation"

Democratic Party Nominates Lawyer Choi Gilsu
Will This End the 10-Year Vacancy?

On July 31, the Blue House announced that it would begin the appointment process for the special inspector as soon as the National Assembly recommends a candidate. With the Democratic Party recommending a candidate for the ruling party's seat on this day, it appears that the process to fill the vacancy of the special inspector, which has persisted for nearly 10 years since 2016, will officially get underway.

President Lee Jae-myung commutes to the Blue House, and on the 29th, the phoenix flag is raised at the Blue House in Seoul, officially marking the beginning of the Blue House era again after 3 years and 7 months. 2025.12.29 Photo by Cho Yongjun

Seong Gihong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, stated in a press notice on this day, "Since his inauguration press conference in July of last year, President Lee Jae-myung has repeatedly emphasized the need to appoint a special inspector, and he has since continued to request and propose such an appointment on numerous occasions."

Secretary Seong added, "If the National Assembly recommends a candidate for the special inspector through a plenary session resolution, the Blue House will swiftly proceed with the appointment process according to protocol."

The Blue House clarified its position immediately after the Democratic Party nominated lawyer Choi Gilsu, a former prosecutor, as its candidate for the special inspector. Han Byungdo, the acting chairman and floor leader of the Democratic Party, explained that Choi was recommended because he is an expert in inspection and discipline, having served as head of the Special Division at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, chief of the Andong Branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and inspector general at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. Previously, in April, the People Power Party recommended lawyer Kang Jisik as a candidate for special inspector.

The National Assembly will recommend three candidates—one each selected by the ruling and opposition parties and the Korean Bar Association—through a plenary session resolution, submitting the list in writing to the President. According to the Special Inspector Act, the President must designate one out of the three candidates as the official nominee for special inspector within three days of receiving the recommended list. The nominated candidate must then undergo a National Assembly personnel hearing before the President makes the final appointment.

The special inspector is an independent agency tasked with continuously inspecting the President's spouse and relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, as well as senior officials at the Blue House at the level of senior presidential secretaries or higher, for any misconduct. Since the resignation of Lee Seoksoo, the inaugural special inspector, in September 2016, the post has remained vacant through the Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk Yeol administrations, leaving the position unfilled for about 10 years.

At a press conference marking 30 days since his inauguration last July, President Lee expressed his strong intent to appoint a special inspector, stating, "It would be best for everyone to proactively prevent and block potential misconduct among those close to the centers of power." In April of this year, he once again requested the National Assembly to start the appointment procedure through Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.