Yang Kun, chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, offered to resign Friday amid controversy over the agency’s reports on the former President Lee Myung-bak’s project to refurbish four major rivers.

He conveyed his intention to step down to President Park Geun-hye, Cheong Wa Dae officials said. He was appointed by Lee on March 11, 2011 for a four-year term.

Yang has been under pressure from the ruling Saenuri Party for its inconsistent assessments of the river project.

In 2011, the BAI said the project had no problems. But in January this year when Lee’s presidency was nearing an end, the state auditor reversed its previous stance, saying the project was a failure.

In its latest report released on July 10, the BAI said that the previous government pushed the four-river project with the intention to build a cross-country canal network. The “hidden” long-term plan was to blame for a number of serious problems such as bid rigging, increased costs and poor water quality management, it added.

Saenuri Party leaders raised doubts about the political neutrality of the agency and demanded Yang’s resignation. 


By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)