[2026 Parliamentary Audit] What's So Special About Nam Gwangwoo's Personal Statement? ... Audit of Climate Ministry Agencies Disrupted After Ruling-Opposition Clash

The parliamentary audit of agencies under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment was disrupted by a standoff between the ruling and opposition parties over agency heads’ refusal to submit materials. After the president of the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute refused to comply with a request for materials approved by the National Assembly, citing privacy protections and other reasons, the People Power Party strongly protested, while the Democratic Party of Korea countered that it was a political attack.

At the National Assembly’s Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee audit on the 15th, Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party named Nam Gwangwoo, president of the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute; Ha Donggeun, president of the Korea District Heating Corporation; and Jang Geon, chair of the Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association, and alleged that “Chief Kim Hyun-ji and former Chief Jeong Jin-sang are suspected of having intervened in personnel appointments.” She went on to criticize them for not submitting materials requested by a committee resolution, citing the protection of personal information and privacy, among other reasons.

Nam Gwang-woo, president of the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, answers questions during a parliamentary audit of the Central Environmental Dispute Mediation and Damage Relief Committee and other agencies, held by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee on the 15th. Yonhap News.

Earlier, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jong-bae, a member of the National Assembly’s Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, presented an analysis that 10 pro-government figures with ties to President Lee Jae-myung were serving as heads or executives of agencies under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. Nam, who took office this past April, is a junior of President Lee at Chung-Ang University’s law school. He has also been active with the Seongnam YMCA and served as head of the business division at the Seongnam Facilities Management Corporation.

Kim Ki-hyun, also of the People Power Party, likewise took issue with the refusal to submit materials. “It is hard to imagine in the National Assembly that someone would refuse to submit a personal statement, a work performance plan and a résumé,” Kim said. “There is no right to refuse to testify or make a statement when it comes to submitting documents.”

In response, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Choi Ki-sang, the committee’s secretary for the party, argued that requests for materials from the National Assembly must be limited so as not to infringe on constitutional rights. “The National Assembly Act commentary makes it clear that the constitutional rights to privacy and freedom of conscience, as well as the right not to make statements that could be used against oneself, must not be violated,” Choi said.

As the parties continued to trade accusations, Nam also offered an explanation. He said he had submitted all relevant documents to the institute when applying for the president’s position but had not submitted them to the National Assembly. He cited the importance of keeping recruitment documents confidential, saying that their disclosure could undermine the fairness and credibility of the hiring process. He also cited Article 8 of the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Administration as grounds for his decision. However, Nam said, “I will comply if the committee makes that decision.”

Members of the People Power Party on the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee leave the National Assembly on the 15th in protest over the failure of Nam Gwangwoo, president of the Korea Environmental Industry and Health Technology Institute, to submit documents during a parliamentary audit of the Central Environmental Dispute Mediation and Relief Committee and other agencies. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At around 11 a.m., committee chair Kim Jeong-ho announced a recess and held consultations with the ruling and opposition parties’ committee secretaries for about 20 minutes. However, disagreements over the submission of materials remained unresolved after the meeting resumed. Kim Hyung-dong, the People Power Party’s committee secretary, urged the institute to “submit the materials as requested, without changing a single word of the request already approved,” adding, “No matter how much the world has changed, I have never seen the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea look as powerless as it does today.” Immediately after his remarks, all People Power Party members of the committee walked out of the meeting room.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Geon-tae countered that the People Power Party’s request for materials amounted to a political attack. “I believe People Power Party lawmakers are making politically motivated requests for materials concerning officials appointed under our government,” Lee said, calling for additional materials on the heads of agencies under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment who were appointed during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Chair Kim again announced a recess and said the parliamentary audit would resume at 2 p.m. He explained that the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute had submitted the work performance plan but not the personal statement, citing regulations on the protection of personal information and privacy. He added that the institute had stated, “If the ruling and opposition parties agree and make the request, we will abide by their decision.”

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