Disruptions Across Busan City Council Audit: Education Office Audit Suspended, Transit Corporation President Asked to Leave

Education Committee suspends audit over alleged attempt to block media coverage

Busan Transportation Corporation president asked to leave as committee holds him accountable for labor-management agreement

The Busan City Council’s administrative audit was repeatedly disrupted by clashes with executive agencies.

The Education Committee suspended its audit after alleging that the education office had tried to block media coverage, while the Construction and Transportation Committee ordered the president of Busan Transportation Corporation to leave the audit session, holding him responsible for labor-management negotiations that increased the financial burden.

At its audit of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education on November 9, the Education Committee focused on questions of political and religious neutrality surrounding Superintendent Kim Seok-jun’s attendance at a politician’s book publication event and religious events, as well as the sending of congratulatory messages and letters in the superintendent’s name. Assemblyman Lee Jun-ho (People Power Party, Geumjeong-gu District 2) questioned the appropriateness of these activities and the internal standards for overseeing them.

The committee claimed that, in the process, it had found evidence that the education office tried to prevent media reports about related questions. It said such conduct could undermine both legitimate audit activities and the media’s ability to investigate and report. The Education Committee decided to suspend the audit until the education office verifies the facts and provides an accountable explanation.

During the Construction and Transportation Committee’s audit, the president of Busan Transportation Corporation left the session. The dispute began after concerns were raised that the corporation, which is carrying a fiscal deficit of about KRW 500 billion, could face an additional burden of about KRW 15 billion after agreeing to increase staffing in labor-management negotiations following the new president’s appointment.

The committee criticized the decision to change the original plan to reassign 13 employees into an increase of 35 employees, saying it would add to the financial burden when management improvements were urgently needed. It also took issue with the Busan Metropolitan Government’s decision to press ahead with the president’s appointment despite the Special Committee on Personnel Hearings having issued an unfavorable opinion.

The committee asked the president to leave, holding him accountable for his management decisions. He complied, and the audit continued with officials including the head of the Safety and Transportation Headquarters.

With the two standing committees’ audits ending in suspension and the president’s departure, respectively, both the executive agencies’ responses and the council’s audit methods have come under scrutiny. Since administrative audits are meant to examine policy and administrative issues, critics say the allegations raised must be followed by explanations and accountable answers.

Busan Metropolitan Council

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