Kim Jong-chul "Byeon Chang-heum Faces Strong Negative Perception Within the Party"

Kim Jong-cheol, leader of the Justice Party, is attending the Executive Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Kim Jong-chul, leader of the Justice Party, stated on the 23rd that "the party's lawmakers and leadership have a very negative perception" of Byun Chang-heum, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, who has caused controversy over inappropriate remarks related to the Guui Station accident.

On the same day, Kim said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "If I were to definitively state my opinion, it would essentially become the party's position, so the party's stance is to wait until the hearing today and then make a final judgment."

Kim pointed out, "While nominee Byun has progressive aspects regarding real estate and housing policies, the human rights of workers are extremely important when it comes to real estate development, house construction, and land development. If he holds a problematic perception in this regard, I believe that is a significant issue."

Additionally, Kim explained that on the previous day (22nd), nominee Byun visited the Justice Party's hunger strike site and apologized for his careless remarks, saying, "He said, 'Since I have only worked on land-related matters, I was unaware of transportation issues,' but that is not convincing," adding, "Whether in construction or transportation, industrial accidents continue for similar reasons."

He emphasized, "If we determine that problems persist based on public sentiment and other considerations, we have no choice but to deem nominee Byun unqualified."

Earlier, nominee Byun sparked controversy after it was revealed that in 2016, during his tenure as president of the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation), he said at a meeting regarding the accident in which a non-regular worker, Kim, died after being caught between train doors while inspecting screen doors, "It was actually nothing; if he (Kim) had just been a little more careful, nothing would have happened."

In response, nominee Byun apologized during his opening remarks at the parliamentary confirmation hearing held on the 23rd, saying, "While preparing for the hearing, I reflected deeply and seriously on my past life and overall journey."

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