Seoul: A parliamentary confirmation hearing was held Friday for Choi Kil-su, a special inspector nominee tasked with probing corruption allegations involving the family and relatives of the president and senior aides. This event marks the first such hearing in 11 years, highlighting a significant step in addressing governmental accountability.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi Kil-su, a former senior prosecutor, was nominated by President Lee Jae Myung from a pool of three candidates recommended by rival political parties and the bar association last month. During the hearing at the National Assembly, Choi emphasized his commitment to impartiality, stating, "I will not be swayed by any external pressure or political considerations and will make decisions solely based on the law and principles, as well as objective facts and evidence."

Choi further stressed the importance of the special inspector role, noting, "I will ensure that the very existence of the special inspector serves as a mechanism that heightens discipline and accountability among public officials and helps prevent misconduct." The position of special inspector, established in 2014, is meant to conduct investigations into alleged irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives, and senior presidential officials. However, it has been vacant since 2016, with the last confirmation hearing for the post taking place in March 2015.