State auditor indicted in presidential office relocation case

A special counsel team announced on Friday that they have indicted a state auditor, Ryou Byeong-ho, for improperly intervening in the investigation of the presidential office and residence relocation during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration. The auditor, who was a member of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is accused of abusing his authority as the secretary-general to direct auditors to request documents from the presidential office verbally rather than through official channels.

Additionally, Ryou allegedly refrained from questioning presidential officials directly, according to the special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young.

The audit into the relocation project began late in 2022, prompted by concerns over the selection of the construction company. After a two-year investigation, the BAI released a report in September 2024 confirming that the construction for the relocation was carried out jointly by 21 Gram, an interior design firm connected to Yoon's wife Kim Keon Hee, and a licensed construction company.

However, the special counsel team suspects that 21 Gram was actually in control of the entire project, and that the BAI intentionally left out these findings from their report.