[Comprehensive] "Fuel to the Angry Public Sentiment"... Growing Calls for 'Byeon Chang-heum's Resignation' Even Within the Ruling Party

With "Byun Chang-heum, Cannot Gain Public Trust," "Should Resign Soon"
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Calls for Byun Chang-heum's Dismissal: "Not Something to Discuss Now"

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum bows his head before reporting on urgent issues at an emergency inquiry related to LH speculation allegations held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the land speculation scandal involving employees of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) continues to escalate, voices within the political sphere are calling for the resignation of Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Changheum. This is because the period during which LH employees purchased land largely overlaps with the time Byeon served as LH president. Although Minister Byeon promised to establish measures to prevent recurrence, calls for his resignation are growing stronger, even within the ruling party.

On the 10th, Park Yongjin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyungyoung's Strongest Current Affairs' interview and stated, "LH, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and even Minister Byeon himself have lost the trust of the public," adding, "The Ministry of Land should be excluded from the investigation team."

He continued, "While the Ministry should provide administrative cooperation necessary for the investigation, participating as an investigative body could be seen by the public as 'protecting their own' or a 'whitewash audit.' There is also a concern that only minor offenders are being caught," he said.

When asked if there are calls within the ruling party to dismiss Minister Byeon, he replied, "Not officially yet," but added, "Minister Byeon is in a political position without a guaranteed term. The public will strongly demand accountability."

Hong Ikpyo, the Democratic Party's Policy Committee Chair, also said in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyungyoung's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 9th, "If Minister Byeon, who was LH president at the time, was aware of, condoned, or aided such corruption, he must be held responsible."

Regarding Minister Byeon, he said, "Since nothing has been revealed yet, I think rather than dismissing him just because he was in that position, it might be better to give him the authority and responsibility to conduct a strict investigation and handle this incident, as he has past experience as president and understands the nature of the institution better." He added, "However, if he is later found to be involved in corruption or knowingly overlooked it, he must be held accountable."

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum is attending an emergency briefing on LH speculation allegations held at the National Assembly on the 9th./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Meanwhile, Park Suhyun, former Blue House spokesperson under the Moon Jaein administration and Democratic Party's Public Relations and Communication Committee Chair, publicly called for Minister Byeon's resignation. On the same day, appearing on TV Chosun's political show 'This is Politics,' Park stated, "Minister Byeon, who was LH president at the time, must take responsibility for what happened and resign soon, if not immediately."

He said, "The public is suffering greatly from real estate and housing issues," adding, "Young people are trying to buy homes by 'Yeongkkeul' (borrowing to the limit), but now, in relation to the LH scandal, the term 'Yeongteol' (having their souls plundered) is even being used." "Minister Byeon has poured fuel on the fire of public anger amid this situation," he criticized.

Earlier, on the 4th, Minister Byeon sparked controversy with remarks that seemed to defend LH employees implicated in the speculation scandal during an interview with MBC. He said, "It doesn't seem like they bought land with prior information," and "They bought it thinking the new town development wouldn't happen, but suddenly it was designated as a new town."

Voices from the opposition party are also growing louder, demanding Minister Byeon take responsibility and resign over the scandal.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, pointed out on BBS Radio's 'Park Kyungsoo's Morning Journal' that "self-investigation is unacceptable" regarding the LH speculation allegations. He emphasized, "The Board of Audit and Inspection should immediately start an audit within the government," and "Minister Byeon should resign or be dismissed, and a parliamentary investigation is necessary."

However, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has drawn a line regarding calls for Minister Byeon's dismissal. When asked about the dismissal on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyungyoung's Strongest Current Affairs,' Prime Minister Chung said, "If there is something to be held accountable for, responsibility must be taken." He added, "It's not something to discuss now; we need to check the situation first," and emphasized, "If anyone is responsible, they will be held accountable without exception."

Meanwhile, according to the Lawyers for a Democratic Society and People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, LH executives and employees concentrated their land purchases over three years from April 2018 to June last year. Notably, this period overlaps with Minister Byeon's tenure as LH president (April 2019 to December 2020), which has further intensified the controversy.

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