The parliamentary judiciary committee approved on Tuesday President Park Geun-hye’s nomination of Lee Seok-soo as the first special inspector tasked with inspecting the president’s close relatives and senior Blue House aides.
The parliamentary approval paves the way for Lee, a former prosecutor, to start his work ― keep a close watch on Park’s relatives and aides and launch investigations if any of them commits wrongdoings.
The appointment of the special inspector was one of Park’s election pledges during the 2012 campaign. The National Assembly passed the bill in March last year, which took effect three months later. But appointment of the first special inspector was delayed because the rival parties failed to agree on a candidate for the post.
Lee, who did not face strong resistance from the opposition parties, served as a state prosecutor for 22 years before retirement. He also served as an assistant to the independent counsel who probed former President Lee Myung-bak’s questionable real estate deal for his retirement home.
We have witnessed many cases in which the president’s relatives and senior aides were involved in various irregularities and wrongdoings. Almost every president had to see their relatives and associates go to jail for corruption and abuse of power.
We ought to cut this tradition, for which the newly created office should take firm root. There is no doubt that success or failure of the office would have an immense bearing on the nation’s fight against corruption at the top.
So we hope that as Lee promised in the parliamentary confirmation hearing, he will “not allow any sanctuary and taboo.” A strong will to ensure political neutrality and independent inspection rights ― by both Park and the special inspector ― will be essential.
It is also important for the inspector to secure cooperation from all relevant government agencies ― the prosecution, police, tax service as well as the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs which currently inspects the president’s relatives and all the senior administration officials.
Although we remain hopeful that the special inspector will help cut the shameful tradition of those around the president being implicated in wrongdoings, it does not mean the new system is flawless.
Most of all, the act covers only the president’s spouses, cousins or closer relatives and the senior Blue House officials whose ranks are no lower than senior presidential secretaries. This should be expanded to include, at least, the prime minister and Cabinet ministers, all appointed by the president.
