(LEAD) Lee nominates special inspector to investigate corruption involving president's family, close aides

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has nominated former prosecutor Choi Kil-su to investigate corruption allegations involving the president's family and close aides, a presidential spokesperson announced on Monday. Choi, recommended by rival parties and the bar association, will be the first special inspector in the position in a decade, following a decade-long vacancy.

The independent inspector general position was created in 2014 by then-President Park Geun-hye but remained unfilled since 2016. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung described Choi as an expert in corruption cases involving high-ranking officials, stating his primary role will be to prevent any irregularities among the president's family and key aides to maintain public order.