Former top auditor expresses will to join politics

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Choe Jae-hyeong, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), on Wednesday officially expressed his intent to enter politics.

The former BAI chairman told Yonhap News Agency that he "has determined to participate in politics" but added that he will need more time to streamline his future plans, possibly including whether to run in next year's presidential race.

Choe resigned in late June in a move widely viewed as a prelude to joining the presidential election race. The resignation came six months before the end of his four-year term and the presidential election slated for March.

He told reporters that he thought that it is "inappropriate" to carry on his duty amid "plenty of disputes" over his position.

He has hinted for months at the possibility of doing so, drawing criticism from the ruling bloc for its impact on the BAI's independence.

Local media regard Choe as a potential alternative presidential candidate to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl for the opposition camp in the case that Yoon drops out of the race.

The former judge has been at odds with Cheong Wa Dae since the BAI's controversial audit last year on the Moon administration's decision to close the Wolsong-1 reactor at an early date.

odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)