The rival parties faced off over the state audit agency's notice of questioning sent to former President Moon Jae-in over his administration's handling of the case of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020.

Tuesday's audit by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee began some 50 minutes late as the two sides carried out protests by holding up placards.

Members of the main opposition Democratic Party(DP) instigated with signs that read "stop political crackdowns," evoking a rebuttal by ruling People Power Party(PPP) lawmakers with their own message that denounced a parliamentary audit marred by partisan wrangling.

The session was able to start after the two sides agreed to take down the placards, but earnest questioning could only begin an hour later due to prolonged opening remarks.

The DP immediately called the Board of Audit and Inspection's notice to President Moon “politically motivated” and demanded that the board's chairman and secretary general both resign, adding that the agency has become a puppet of the Yoon administration.

The PPP, meanwhile, blasted the former president for rejecting a written questionnaire and urged the auditor to proceed with a forced probe.