Lee Sang-jung (이상중), head of the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), whose dismissal motion was approved over various allegations including improper use of a corporate card, challenged the audit findings during a parliamentary audit. The Democratic Party 집중 pressed allegations of false resume entries and shifting responsibility to staff, but Lee pushed back, saying there were problems with the procedure.

At the National Assembly in Seoul's Yeouido on Oct. 15, questions continued at the audit of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee over the grounds for Lee's dismissal and his past career.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jeong-heon (이정헌) took issue with Lee's past career. He said, "Is it correct that you worked as a Grade 5 prosecutor's office official and then became the head of a vice minister-level agency?" He added, "This is what is called a parachute appointment."

He especially claimed that the title of head of the Internet Crime Investigation Team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, listed in Lee's profile, did not actually exist. He also raised suspicions of false entries regarding Lee's claimed experience from March 2021 to December 2023 as a specially appointed professor at Gumi University and as head of the Cyber Security Research Institute. Asked whether he had falsely listed his career, Lee said, "No," denying the allegation.

The background to KISA's board approving the dismissal recommendation also came under scrutiny. Lim Jeong-gyu (임정규), a non-executive KISA board member and director general for information security network policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, explained the reason for approving the motion, saying, "A majority of members agreed with the matters pointed out in the audit, which led to the dismissal recommendation." Asked by Lee Jeong-heon whether the audit confirmed that Lee shifted responsibility to staff during the process, Lim said, "That is what the audit results say."

Lee Jeong-heon raised allegations that Lee tried to avoid responsibility by claiming that subordinate staff drafted false official documents without approval from the competent authority. He also criticised Lee for filing an injunction request with the Gwangju District Court after the dismissal motion was approved.

Lee, however, maintained that he could not accept the audit results. He said, "I will list and explain each of the 10 audit findings," adding, "Leaving aside the substantive truth, there are procedural problems."

At the audit, lawmakers also raised the issue of KISA dispatching digital forensics personnel to the special prosecutor for the National Election Commission. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jang-gyeom (김장겸) said the special prosecutor asked KISA to dispatch specialists but the actual deployment was being delayed. Lee said, "We officially received the request and proceeded with the recruitment process."

Citing that the special prosecutor's activity period is fixed, Kim said, "Is this something that should be sent through a legal recruitment process?" He urged a swift dispatch. Lee replied, "We will do so."