Seoul Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee Strengthens Legal Advisory Panel's Expertise

10 New Members and 20 Reappointments to the Legal Advisory Panel

Legal Expertise in Audits, Grievance Investigations, and Public Project Oversight

Experts from Judiciary, Prosecution, Public Institutions, and Corporate Legal Affairs Join the Panel

The Seoul Metropolitan Government Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee is strengthening its legal advisory panel. The committee’s legal advisory group is designed to enhance legal expertise during audits and investigations, thereby protecting citizens' rights and interests from unlawful or unreasonable administrative actions.

As South Korea's first consensus-based administrative body, and the only organization dedicated to handling citizens' complaints and grievances, the Seoul Metropolitan Government Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee held the “2026 Legal Advisory Panel Appointment Ceremony and Advisory Meeting” at Seoul City Hall on the afternoon of August 13, 2026.

The legal advisory panel consists of 50 legal experts from various fields, such as lawyers, law professors, and holders of doctoral degrees in law. They currently conduct legal review and offer guidance across all core work areas of the committee, including audits, grievance investigations, and public project oversight. In particular, their accumulated field expertise and experience have provided a foundation for the committee to make reasonable decisions on complex legal issues. To date, they have provided legal advice in a total of 442 cases, including 82 audits, 344 grievance investigations, 4 public project oversight cases, and 12 other matters.

This time, 10 new panel members are joining, all seasoned lawyers with expertise and extensive practical experience in diverse legal fields. The newly recruited experts bring hands-on knowledge from various sectors—including the judiciary such as courts and prosecutors’ offices, public institution legal affairs and administration, finance and corporate legal affairs, and public interest law support.

At the appointment ceremony, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended and presented appointment certificates directly to the members of the legal advisory panel. He expressed his gratitude to the advisors who have supported the committee’s audit and investigation work with professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility. Mayor Oh stated, “As administrative environments grow increasingly complex and diverse, and as citizens’ awareness of their rights as well as expectations for administration rise, the importance of accurate and balanced legal judgments during audits and investigations is only increasing. The wealth of experience and professional insight within the legal advisory panel will set a standard for objective and reasonable judgments and serve as a vital foundation for greater citizen trust in Seoul's administration.”

Following the appointment ceremony, an advisory meeting was held to share the main functions and operational direction of the newly assembled legal advisory panel and the committee. Based on a review of key legal advisory activities during the first half of the year, attendees discussed prominent legal issues encountered during audits and investigations, and considered strategies for more effective operation of the advisory panel in the future.

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