2026 Assembly Audit Opens… Fierce Clashes Expected from Cho Huidae to Prosecutorial Reform and Real Estate

25 Days of Audits Unfold Across 17 Committees
Showdown in Judiciary Committee Over Cho Huidae’s Refusals and Prosecutorial Reform
Key Issues: Real Estate and Honam Semiconductor Cluster
Democratic Party: "Audit for the People’s Livelihood" vs. People Power Party: "Scrutiny of the Administration’s Performance"

The 2026 National Assembly audit opened on October 6. The Democratic Party of Korea announced that it would examine whether public livelihood policies are effectively being implemented on the ground, while the People Power Party forecast a wide-ranging scrutiny of the administration, ranging from economic policies to prosecutorial reform and national defense issues.

This year’s audit will be conducted over a period of 25 days, from October 6 to October 30. Of the 17 standing committees, 16 have finalized their audit plans, covering a total of 846 organizations scheduled for scrutiny.

On the first day, eight major standing committees—including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Political Affairs Committee, the Planning and Finance Committee, the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the Public Administration and Security Committee, the Industry, Trade, Resources, SMEs and Startups Committee, and the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee—will begin their audits.

Byungho Han, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a general speech at the National Assembly's inspection countermeasure meeting held on the 6th. 2026.10.06 Photo by Dongju Yoon

On the morning of October 6, the Democratic Party held an inauguration ceremony for its Audit General Situation Room, marking the launch of its full-scale audit response system. Byungdo Han, the party’s floor leader, stated, "The Democratic Party’s guiding principle for this year’s audit is, first, second, and third, the livelihood of the people," adding, "We aim to ensure that this audit pays even closer attention to the policies affecting people’s lives." Han also expressed the party’s intention to proactively respond to any attacks from the opposition, stressing, "We will firmly stand against any partisan attempts to use the audit as a tool for political strife."

The People Power Party launched its own audit situation room earlier, holding its inauguration ceremony on October 2 and activating its response system. On October 3, the party held an outdoor rally near Seoul's Sungnyemun, criticizing the abolition of the prosecution office as well as real estate and livelihood issues, thereby initiating a pre-audit battle for public opinion.

During the Audit Countermeasures Meeting on October 6, the People Power Party raised objections starting with the police’s summoning of Assemblyman Kim Jaeseop for questioning. Floor Leader Jeongsik Jeong argued, "It is hardly a coincidence that the police summon an opposition lawmaker for questioning on the very first day of the audit," asserting, "This is a political investigation timed to coincide with the audit schedule." He further criticized, "This is a tribute from political police to the Lee Jaemyung administration, which disbanded the prosecution and concentrated power in the hands of the police," and added, "Our concern is that the abolition of supplementary prosecution rights is leading to a loss of oversight mechanisms for the police."

Jeong Jeomsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, is delivering an opening remark at the National Assembly Inspection Countermeasures Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th. 2026.10.06 Photo by Yoon Dongju

The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is expected to be the fiercest battleground in this year’s audit. Both the ruling and opposition parties have signaled a direct showdown over Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Huidae’s refusal to recommend Supreme Court judges and over the issue of prosecutorial reform. While Chief Justice Cho has submitted a written explanation and stated he will not attend as a general witness, he is scheduled to appear before the Assembly in his capacity as the head of the Supreme Court.

Byungdo Han emphasized, "Judicial independence is a principle to ensure the fairness of trials, not a privilege that exempts the Chief Justice from responsibility," and said, "The head of the judiciary, who has the power to recommend Supreme Court justices, should come before the National Assembly and explain in detail what has been done to prevent vacancies in trials."

In the Political Affairs, Finance, and Land Committees, key issues such as single-stock leveraged ETFs and real estate policy are expected to become focal points of debate. In the Industry, Trade, Resources, SMEs and Startups Committee as well as the Climate Committee, controversy is anticipated as the ruling and opposition parties clash over whether to summon witnesses such as Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Tae-won Chey, Chairman of SK Group, regarding the selection process for the Honam Semiconductor Cluster.

Within the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, controversy surrounding the film "Assassin(s)," which deals with the assassination attempt on Mrs. Yuk Young-soo, is likely to emerge as a major issue. The People Power Party is demanding the attendance of director Heo Jin-ho and the film’s production team at the National Assembly, arguing that they should be held accountable for historical distortion. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, counters that such demands infringe upon creative freedom.

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