Seoul ombudsman panel says audit of ex-district mayor's Cancun trip is independent matter

Seoul's Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee has asked that its independence be respected in connection with an ongoing resident audit into former Seongdong-gu District Mayor Jeong Won-o's overseas business trip — widely referred to as the "Cancun trip."

In a statement released Friday, the committee said it is "an independent deliberative administrative body established under the Local Autonomy Act and the Seoul Metropolitan Government ordinance governing the operation of the Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee and resident audit requests," adding that "whether to accept, proceed with, or close a resident audit case is a matter for the committee to decide independently, in accordance with the standards and procedures set by law."

The committee said the audit concerning former District Mayor Jeong was also initiated in response to a legally required audit request filed by 210 Seongdong-gu residents, and that no separate report had been made to the Seoul mayor.

On Thursday, at the National Assembly's audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government held by the House Administration and Security Committee, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chae Hyeon-il alleged that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon had ordered a targeted audit in connection with the allegations surrounding Jeong's overseas trip. Oh rebuffed the claim, saying, "It is not a relationship in which the mayor gives orders."

The committee said the resident audit "was filed on April 6 with the joint signatures of more than 150 residents, and was lawfully initiated on June 25 after passing a requirements review and acceptance vote by the audit request deliberation committee."

The committee added that matters under criminal investigation had been excluded from the audit's scope out of respect for the investigative authorities' jurisdiction, and said it had "consistently maintained the principle of conducting the audit only on matters that can be independently verified through objective materials such as administrative procedures and budget execution."

The committee said it "fully respects the role of the national audit in providing legitimate checks and oversight of administration," while noting that "the resident audit request system is a separate legal procedure established by the Local Autonomy Act and relevant ordinances."

It went on to say that "all resident audit request cases have been handled fairly, based solely on laws and objective facts, without regard to the political interests of any particular party or individual," and that it has maintained political neutrality.

The committee said it "will continue to conduct audits fairly and transparently in accordance with lawful procedures, and will faithfully notify and disclose the results through the procedures prescribed by relevant laws as soon as the audit is concluded."

The committee has extended the public interest audit period related to the Cancun trip allegations twice, with a conclusion now set for Oct. 23. The audit, which began June 25, had originally been scheduled to wrap up Aug. 24.

A committee official said it had asked the Ministry of Interior and Safety for an authoritative legal interpretation on matters related to the resident audit and was awaiting a response, adding that the deadline had been extended because there were additional items requiring review.