Choi Gil-su, nominee for special inspector general, corrects asset declaration to 1.8 billion won

Choi Gil-su, 60, nominee for special inspector general, declared assets worth 1.8365 billion won to the National Assembly on Monday, in his own name as well as those of his spouse, parents, and two daughters, correcting the declaration he had submitted earlier. His father reported a total of 481.62 million won, including an apartment in Deogyang District, Goyang, worth 221 million won, while his mother declared 138.02 million won, including a multifamily home in the same district valued at 93 million won. His elder daughter, born in 2002, and younger daughter, born in 2004, reported 70.02 million won and 52.09 million won, respectively, in savings, securities, and other assets.

The special inspector general is a post tasked with auditing misconduct by the president's spouse and relatives within four degrees of kinship, as well as high-ranking officials at Cheong Wa Dae at the level of senior presidential secretary or above. The position has remained vacant for a decade since former special inspector general Lee Seok-su resigned in September 2016.

President Lee Jae-myung named Choi, a figure recommended by the Democratic Party of Korea, as his special inspector general nominee on Aug. 24. In the letter requesting a confirmation hearing, the president assessed Choi as "a fit person to carry out the task of realizing the principle of popular sovereignty by establishing discipline in the public service and enhancing transparency in state affairs, on the basis of expertise in audit work, rational and impartial judgment, and extensive organizational management capability." He added that Choi also has the capabilities suited to forming the special inspector general's office at an early date and re-establishing its operational framework.

The National Assembly confirmation hearing for Choi Gil-su is set for Sept. 18.