'No Land Speculation Cases'... Ministry of Land Union States "Fair Task Performance Confirmed, Requests Refrain from Suspicion"

"Ministry of Land Officials Confirmed to Have Professional Ethics Awareness"
"Urging to Refrain from Baseless Allegations"
"Employee Morale Affects Public Safety"
However, Special Investigation Team and Ministry of Land Family Still Under Investigation

Choi Byung-wook, Chairman of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Labor Union, and officials are greeting after holding a press conference regarding the results of the first comprehensive investigation into land speculation allegations in the 3rd New Town, conducted for employees of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City on the morning of the 12th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Labor Union stated on the 12th that the first investigation results by the government joint investigation team showed that Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) employees were completely unrelated to land speculation in the 3rd New Town projects, and they self-assessed that "it has been confirmed that they are performing their duties fairly." They also requested to "refrain from indiscriminate allegations based on 'if not, then forget it'."

The MOLIT Labor Union held a press conference at the Government Sejong Complex on the same day and announced this position.

Choi Byung-wook, the union chairman, explained, "According to the first full investigation results announced yesterday by the government joint investigation team regarding LH speculation, none of the current or former MOLIT employees were involved," and added, "It has been confirmed that MOLIT officials working in the department overseeing real estate policy are performing their duties fairly with thorough 'professional ethics awareness.'"

Earlier, the joint investigation team revealed that after examining land transaction records of a total of 14,348 people, including 4,509 MOLIT employees and 9,839 LH employees, 20 people were found to own land in the 3rd New Town or adjacent areas. All 20 were LH employees, and there was not a single MOLIT employee.

Chairman Choi emphasized, "From the moment this incident occurred, various allegations and indiscriminate media criticism poured in, causing MOLIT employees to feel both alert and significantly demoralized," and added, "Especially in fields such as railroads, roads, and aviation, which are directly linked to public safety, a drop in employee morale could directly affect the safety of the public."

He continued, "Please remember that, as announced by the government joint investigation team, there are no speculative employees, and I ask you to refrain from indiscriminate allegations based on 'if not, then forget it'."

However, since the government joint special investigation headquarters is still investigating suspicions of pre-speculation in new towns involving spouses and direct relatives of MOLIT and LH employees, some point out that it is premature to conclude that MOLIT employees have no connection to speculation. Typically, speculation using insider information is often conducted under the names of family members or acquaintances rather than the individuals themselves, so it is necessary to wait for further investigation results.

Chairman Choi stated, "The union will continue to convey opinions to the government to improve systems that may cause corruption and will strengthen monitoring and checks continuously," and added, "We will also strive at the labor union level to ensure that real estate-related policies, such as the 3rd New Town and urban regeneration projects, are executed fairly and transparently."

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