Fill the special inspector vacancy, and guarantee independence

After nearly a decade of vacancy, the ruling and opposition parties have finally nominated candidates for the presidential special inspector. The People Power Party recommended attorney Kang Ji-sik, a former prosecutor, and the Democratic Party nominated attorney Choi Gil-soo, who previously served in the inspection division of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office. Under the law, the National Assembly must recommend three candidates, after which the president appoints one. The parties should quickly agree on a third nominee so the appointment process can move forward.

The special inspector is responsible for monitoring the president’s spouse, relatives and senior presidential staff. The position was created in 2014 under the Park Geun-hye administration after a series of influence-peddling scandals underscored the need for stronger oversight of those closest to the president.

The office, however, has never functioned as intended. Lee Seok-soo, the first and only special inspector, resigned before completing his term; he had clashed with the presidential office while investigating senior officials. No successor was appointed throughout the Moon Jae-in or Yoon Suk Yeol administrations, leaving the system effectively dormant. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that successive presidents found the office politically inconvenient.

The justifications offered over the years were equally unconvincing. The Moon administration and the then-ruling Democratic Party argued that the office’s duties overlapped with those of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. The Yoon administration also pledged to revive the system but never followed through. Both ruling and opposition parties bear responsibility for allowing an institution established to strengthen accountability to become little more than a dead letter.

President Lee Jae Myung pledged during his election campaign to appoint a special inspector and has repeatedly urged the National Assembly to recommend candidates since taking office. The qualifications of the nominees should be carefully examined to ensure that they can independently oversee those closest to the president. Political calculations, however, should not derail the process again.

The ruling and opposition parties should promptly agree on a qualified candidate with a reputation for fairness and impartiality, and President Lee should complete the appointment without delay. More importantly, the office must be allowed to operate without fear of political retaliation or pressure from the appointing authority.

A special inspector is not an obstacle to the administration but a guardian of transparent government. If politicians truly hope to restore public trust, they must end the familiar pattern of demanding the appointment while in opposition only to invent excuses once they hold power.