Candidate Byeon Chang-heum Apologizes for Remarks on Guui Station Accident

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Byun Chang-heum, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, apologized for his past remarks during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 23rd.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In his opening remarks, Byun said, "While preparing for the hearing, I reflected deeply and seriously on my past life and overall journey," adding, "During this time of reflection, I recognized that I failed to thoughtfully consider the hearts and pains of the people, and I have resolved to make a fresh commitment."

He continued, "Regarding the remarks I made four years ago while serving as the president of Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH), I accept the public's criticism with a heavy heart and sincerely apologize."

He stated, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by my words," and "especially to the late Mr. Kim, who tragically lost his life in the Guui Station screen door accident, his family, and all those who are working bravely despite risks even at this moment, I take this opportunity to offer my repeated apologies."

When mentioning the Guui Station accident during his tenure as SH president in 2016, he said, "Looking at each detail, it was an employee of a company commissioned by Metro under the Seoul city government who died due to a mistake," and "In fact, it was nothing; if he (the victim) had been a little more careful, nothing would have happened," which was later revealed and caused controversy.

Additionally, Byun expressed his stance on real estate policy. He stated, "I will continuously communicate with all sectors and classes to promote policies that the public can trust and feel reassured about," and pledged to devote full efforts to stabilizing the housing market.

Regarding supply measures, he emphasized, "To create a housing market centered on genuine demand, speculative demand will be blocked, and plans and execution measures will be developed to supply affordable and high-quality housing in sufficient quantities. At the same time, we will swiftly supply housing within urban areas by utilizing areas such as transit station zones, semi-industrial zones, and low-rise residential areas."

He added, "We will speedily develop the 3rd generation new towns and steadily promote public-led redevelopment projects and the supply of public lease-type housing."

Byun proposed, "We will strive for balanced national land development, strengthen the competitiveness of the land and transport industry by integrating smart technologies, and focus on building transportation networks in new towns to create a convenient and safe living environment."

Regarding the Korean New Deal policy, Byun said, "We will expand the innovative achievements of smart cities and digital services such as 3D precision maps and ITS," and "through zero-energy buildings and green remodeling, we will create carbon-neutral cities and expand eco-friendly mobility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.