Post-Chuseok Audit Convenes Celebrities and Industry Leaders

Introduction to the National Audit Process

The first national audit under the Lee Jae-myung administration is set to begin on the 13th. This process involves various committees of the National Assembly, which have once again invited celebrities, cultural and artistic figures, and sports industry officials as witnesses and reference persons for this year’s audit. Additionally, individuals involved in incidents that have drawn public attention are also included in the list of those summoned.

Witnesses and Reference Persons from Different Sectors

Famous YouTuber Tzuyang and his attorney are expected to appear as reference persons at the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee audit. Their role will be to discuss the harm caused by “cyber vultures.” Yang Chi-seung, a well-known health trainer who had to close his gym due to fraud related to private donation receipts, has been included in the list of reference persons for the Administrative Safety Committee and the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee.

Musical actor Nam Kyung-joo will attend as a reference person at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit. The goal of this inclusion is to gather on-site voices to support the development of the musical industry. In the sports sector, Moon Jin-hee, head of the Korea Football Association’s Referee Committee, has been adopted as a witness. This move is expected to address controversies over refereeing errors within the football community.

Specific Cases and Controversies

The Administrative Safety Committee has summoned Park Jong-tae, representative of Hanwha Eagles, as a witness to question the unauthorized alteration of disabled seating. Hanwha previously covered the disabled seating area at its Daejeon stadium with artificial turf, installed and sold high-end special seats, and failed to comply with restoration orders in a timely manner, sparking controversy.

Additionally, the committee has adopted Paik Jong-won, representative of The Born Korea, who has been at the center of recent controversies, as a witness. Committee members are expected to question Paik about suspicions related to local festivals and violations of the Food Sanitation Act and other regulations. Paik has suspended his domestic broadcasting activities due to various controversies.

Platform Companies and Transaction Fairness

Officials from various platform companies popular among younger generations have also been summoned to the audit. The Planning and Finance Committee and the Political Affairs Committee have adopted the representative of Ticketbay, which operates a secondary ticket trading platform, as a witness. Lawmakers are expected to question Ticketbay about the current state of scalping and prevention measures. Recently, platforms like Ticketbay have faced criticism for becoming hubs for ultra-high-price scalping transactions, with tickets sold at tens of times their original price.

The Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee has summoned the representatives of fashion platforms Musinsa and W Concept as witnesses. The main agenda is to inspect the fairness of transactions between the platforms and sellers.

Public Interest and Previous Examples

Each year, interest focuses on the adoption of celebrities as witnesses or reference persons and their attendance at the national audit. Last year, during the Environment and Labor Committee audit, NewJeans member Hanni attended as a reference person, sparking controversy. The year before last, the representative of a tanghulu company was summoned to the National Assembly. These instances highlight the ongoing debate around the role of celebrities in official proceedings and the broader implications for public perception and policy discussions.