The Personnel Hearing Special Committee of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Council (Chairman Choi Hyeong-yeol) adopted a report on the results of the personnel hearing for the candidate for the director of the Jeonbuk Research Institute, Choi Baek-ryul, on the 24th, with an opinion of 'qualified.'

The committee members pointed out that the policy proposals regarding provincial issues by the candidate lacked specificity and understanding of current projects, and there was a need for improvement in terms of ethics, such as controversy over concentrated publication of papers at specific times. However, they concluded that based on the candidate's practical experience accumulated over 34 years in universities and management capabilities, they expect him to lead the development of Jeonbuk's region and organizational innovation, hence deeming him 'qualified.'

The committee emphasized the active role of the research institute in addressing key future issues in Jeonbuk in the report. They urged the establishment of preemptive strategies to ensure Jeonbuk is not marginalized in the government's '5-3 Balanced Development' plan, and to formulate industrialization strategies that lead the 1 trillion won 'Physical AI' national project to attract large companies and create jobs. They also stressed the immediate need to address the lack of AI specialized personnel and research capabilities within the institute. Chairman Choi Hyeong-yeol urged, "Restore operational stability shaken by the vacancy of the director and faithfully perform the role of a policy think tank leading the resolution of provincial issues."

The adopted report will be submitted to the governor by the 24th.

Meanwhile, Lee Soo-jin, a member of the Planning and Administration Committee of the council (The People Power Party, proportional), officially raised the need for an audit, strongly criticizing the research methods and organizational operations of the Jeonbuk Research Institute during the personnel hearing held on the 23rd. The member emphasized the necessity for audits based on researchers' responsibilities and objectivity, rather than non-scientific expected outcomes tailored to the province's tastes.

Furthermore, they criticized the inconsistency in external activity-related data of the research institute, pointing out that internal control and verification systems were not functioning properly. The member explained that the number and amount of external activities varied in the data submitted from January 2023 to October 2025, and inquired about business trip and leave approval procedures, telecommuting standards, and service management systems. They emphasized that if the same issues are repeated despite being pointed out in the 2021 audit, it should be a subject of the audit.

In response, the candidate Choi stated, "If there are reasons for that, then an audit should be conducted," and expressed a willingness to thoroughly manage service upon assuming the directorship and positively consider demands for reform. The member urged for substantive measures, stating, "Problem verification through audits and fundamental improvements across the organization are necessary."