Attention turns to whether President Lee will nominate special inspector

Aug 24, 2026, 09:09 am

President Lee Jae-myung is set to nominate a candidate for special inspector on August 24. If the final appointment is completed, the special inspector system will be revived after a 10-year vacancy since September 2016. Attention is focusing on whether President Lee, who has launched an intensive anti-corruption drive in the second year of his term, can lay the foundation for creating a "corruption-free administration" through the restoration of the special inspector.

According to the Office of the President on August 23, President Lee is reviewing three candidates recommended by the National Assembly before making a final nomination.

The Democratic Party recommended attorney Choi Gil-soo, the People Power Party recommended attorney Kang Ji-sik, and the Korean Bar Association recommended attorney Choi Yong-hoon. The National Assembly passed the recommendation bill for these candidates at a plenary session on August 20.

Once President Lee nominates one of the three, the candidate will undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing before being formally appointed as special inspector. An official from the Office of the President said, "Since the nomination deadline is August 24, the final nomination is expected to take place on this day."

The special inspector is an independent entity that oversees and inspects illicit acts committed by the president's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, and public officials at the level of senior presidential secretary or above in the Office of the President. Although introduced in 2014 under the Park Geun-hye administration to monitor power-based corruption, the position has remained vacant for about a decade after the inaugural special inspector, Lee Seok-soo, stepped down in September 2016 without a successor being named.

President Lee has maintained a proactive stance toward appointing a special inspector since taking office. Following a request to the National Assembly to initiate the recommendation process during his first press conference after taking office in July of last year, he urged the commencement of the appointment process again in April of this year.

In particular, as he emphasizes eradicating public sector corruption and establishing strict discipline in his second year in office, the appointment of a special inspector appears to be gaining further momentum.

At the 1st Anti-Corruption Policy Consultative Council meeting on August 21, President Lee emphasized, "If the government and public sector fail to secure public trust, all achievements can easily collapse like a castle built on sand," adding, "We must be the first to set the right principles and standards, and establish an attitude of accountability."

Accordingly, the second special inspector to be appointed in 10 years is expected to symbolize the anti-corruption stance of the Lee Jae-myung administration while serving to check the president's relatives and core presidential staff.

Some also point out that defining roles with existing inspection and oversight agencies is necessary to enhance the system's effectiveness. This is because the jurisdiction of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs may partially overlap with that of the special inspector. Furthermore, since the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) also handles investigations into crimes committed by high-ranking public officials, voices are calling for a clear division of roles among the institutions.

Hong Sun-mi

#President Lee #Special inspector #Prosecution