[After the Audit] ③ Overtime Battle Amid 'Lackluster Audit' Criticism

Audit hours decline, according to tally of video records
Fewer overnight audits as well
Various factors, including delayed committee assignments and difficulty securing witnesses

This year's parliamentary audit, which was criticized as a "lackluster audit," also fell short of previous years in quantitative measures. However, some believe that the efforts of certain lawmakers and aides who fulfilled their fundamental responsibilities despite criticism that the audit focused on short-form videos and shouting should be respected in their own right.

A tally by The Asia Business Daily of video records released by the National Assembly on November 6 showed that this year's audit lasted a total of 736 hours, down 4.8% from 774 hours last year. Last year's audit was also 7% shorter than the 2024 audit, which lasted 832 hours. This suggests that the audit has been getting shorter year after year.

The decline in audit hours was influenced by seasonal factors, including the National Assembly's October schedule and holidays, as well as strategies by the ruling and opposition parties related to the operation of standing committees. The problem was that the overall atmosphere surrounding the audit was not what it used to be.

Hwang Giyeon, president of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, answers lawmakers' questions during a parliamentary audit of the bank and other institutions at the National Assembly on Oct. 20, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Late-night audits, which reflect the intensity of the proceedings, also became less frequent. An examination of the number of audits that ended after midnight found 13 in 2024 and seven in 2025, compared with five this year. The trend was similar when 9 p.m. was used as the cutoff. The number of audits that ended after 9 p.m. fell from 51 in 2024 to 48 in 2025 and 46 this year.

The audit also failed to avoid criticism that it was a "lackluster audit" or a "hollow audit" with no major revelations. Some in political circles have interpreted the poor assessment as a win for the government's and ruling party's strategy. Others have pointed to delays in organizing the National Assembly. In the third year of a parliamentary term, when the second half of the Assembly begins, there are only a couple of months between the completion of committee assignments and the start of the audit in early October, leaving far too little time to prepare.

The opposition also raised concerns that the ruling party, which holds a majority, obstructed the selection of witnesses and reference witnesses. An aide to an opposition lawmaker criticized the ruling party, saying, "It refused to agree to the selection of witnesses and reference witnesses." There were also continued complaints that government agencies under audit had failed to cooperate fully, including in submitting requested documents.

Many also criticized a political climate in which partisan disputes attract more attention than issues affecting people's livelihoods. One aide lamented, "The National Assembly must acknowledge the criticism that the audit was lackluster. When there are political considerations, no matter how many livelihood issues there are, they are pushed aside and never brought into public discussion." Still, some say the audit remains valuable. Another aide said, "Lawmakers should avoid sensational short-form-video audits and audits dominated by shouting, but these audits can hold the government accountable for its policies and mistakes, address social injustices, and help vulnerable people. Please pay attention to lawmakers who quietly and diligently continue questioning policies, even when their efforts receive little media coverage."

Meanwhile, according to a Gallup poll conducted November 3-5 among 1,001 people aged 18 and older nationwide, using telephone interviewers to conduct interviews via randomly selected wireless virtual numbers from the country's three mobile carriers, 76% of all respondents said either that no lawmakers had distinguished themselves in the parliamentary audit or that they did not know. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and the response rate was 9.7%.

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