A decade-long vacancy filled — 'I will be a wide-eyed panopticon'
On expanding oversight scope: 'Impossible without legislation — I will follow the law'
Newly appointed Special Inspector Choi Gil-su pledged Monday to uphold political neutrality and independence and to strengthen what he called "preventive inspection."
Choi made the remarks to reporters on his way into the Special Inspector's Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on his first day on the job, laying out political neutrality and preventive inspection as the core principles guiding his work.
"I will maintain political neutrality and independence in carrying out my duties to the very end," Choi said. "If I fail to maintain political neutrality and independence, the system becomes a dead letter or loses its value." He added that he would take personal care to avoid being drawn into disputes over fairness and would work hard to ensure the office's activities were not caught up in such controversies.
Choi also invoked the classical Confucian concept of "sindok" — the practice of self-examination even when alone — to explain his vision for preventive inspection. "The term sindok appears in the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning. It means to be circumspect and to reflect on oneself even in solitude," he said. "The Special Inspector system is an institutional check designed to ensure that senior public officials subject to inspection are always reflecting on and scrutinizing themselves." He added that he wanted the office to become "a panopticon with eyes wide open, capable of watching those subject to inspection at all times."
On calls in political circles to expand the scope of those subject to inspection, Choi reaffirmed that he would operate strictly within the law. Asked what he would do if a tip came in about someone close to the president who fell outside the legally defined scope of inspection, Choi drew a line. "If I conduct an inspection in violation of the law, I am subject to punishment," he said. On whether the National Assembly might amend the law to broaden the scope, he said simply, "I will follow the law."
Choi said the office's work goes beyond passively waiting for tips. "Inspection activity involves gathering information — it is not simply a passive process of waiting for complaints or accusations," he said. He declined, however, to comment on whether any specific individuals were under consideration, saying that discussing who may or may not be a target when no tip or inspection was even underway risked drawing the office into fairness disputes.
The National Assembly voted Thursday on a confirmation hearing report for Choi that included both "qualified" and "unqualified" opinions, reached by agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. President Lee Jae-myung approved the appointment the following day, ending a decade-long vacancy in the Special Inspector post.
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
