In Seoul on December 7, the presidential office announced that President Lee Jae‑Myung has put forward human‑rights attorney Kim Ho‑cheol to head the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI).
Kim, who works at the firm KlassHankyul, has a long record of public‑interest work. He was chief of the Korean National Police Commission and co‑representative of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, a leading green advocacy group. He also led Lawyers for a Democratic Society—a liberal lawyers’ association—and sat on a committee that investigated suspicious deaths of soldiers.
Lee Kyu‑yeon, the president’s public‑relations secretary, praised Kim as a “leading human rights lawyer who has played a central role in safeguarding the public interest and social values.” He added that Kim is “the right person and a qualified expert to normalise the role of the BAI chief and restore its constitutional value of political neutrality, independence and public trust.”
The nomination will still go to the National Assembly for a confirmation hearing, though an exact date has yet to be set.
The outgoing BAI chief, Choe Jae‑hae, stepped down last month after finishing a four‑year term. He had survived an impeachment motion in December, as the Constitutional Court dismissed the case.
The BAI has been involved in political controversies in recent years, with critics accusing former administrations of turning the agency into a tool for partisan audits. Last week, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High‑Ranking Officials raided the BAI over a disputed audit conducted under former President Yoon Suk‑yeol.
In November, President Lee urged the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to return to its core duties, lamenting that the agency had been misused for political ends in previous governments. His remarks came during his first official visit to the NIS in June, the first time he had addressed a government agency for a policy briefing, according to spokesperson Kang Yu‑jung.
He said, “It is regrettable that the vast majority of you are doing your best for the nation and our people. Yet, there are exceptional situations where the agency has been politically misused, including fabricated espionage cases. When that happens, all employees end up being criticised,” and added, “I hope such things will never happen again.”
Lee chose the NIS as his initial stop to emphasize its importance. “I believe that intelligence operations have a profound impact on the nation’s governance,” he explained. “I hope that you will continue to faithfully carry out the roles entrusted to you, so that the NIS becomes a respected institution.”
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