"Speculated Like Playing a Game?" Satire of 'Minjudang's Marble'... Heated Exchange Between Ruling and Opposition Over Nationwide Parliamentary Investigation

Proposal for a Full Real Estate Survey at the National Assembly on the 11th
Opposition: "Don't Hesitate, Start Immediately" with Confidence
Satirical 'Blue Marble' Released as 'Democratic Party's Marble'

An image titled 'Democratic Party's Marble,' satirizing speculation allegations against some ruling party members by comparing them to a board game. / Photo by Baehyun Jin, captured from Facebook

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Regarding the allegations of land speculation by employees of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) in the 3rd New Towns of Gwangmyeong and Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, a fierce confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties is intensifying over the proposal to conduct a full-scale investigation of members of the National Assembly. Earlier, when Kim Tae-nyeon, Acting Party Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed a "full-scale real estate investigation of all members of the National Assembly," Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, readily accepted, saying, "Let's do all 300 members at once." In particular, the opposition party showed confidence by posting a satirical image called 'Democratic Party Marble,' which parodies the Democratic Party using the board game 'Blue Marble.'

On the 11th, Bae Hyun-jin, Floor Spokesperson of the People Power Party, wrote on her Facebook, "We welcome Kim Tae-nyeon, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party's proposal for a 'full-scale real estate speculation investigation of the National Assembly,'" adding, "This will be the first step to standing proudly before the people. Without hesitation, let's start a full-scale investigation of real estate speculation involving all 300 members of the ruling and opposition parties starting tomorrow. The People Power Party is ready."

She continued, "While the people are being driven into a rental housing crisis, the government and ruling party have been intoxicated with speculation, indiscriminately targeting farmland and barren land like a 'land-eating hippo,'" and pointed out, "We need to find out together who deceived the public and fattened themselves through secret land speculation."

Spokesperson Bae also released a satirical image called 'Democratic Party Marble.' The image appears to mimic the board game 'Blue Marble,' which was released in 1982.

On the afternoon of the 10th, tree saplings were planted on the land suspected of speculation by LH employees in Gwarim-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

Blue Marble is a localized version of the game 'Monopoly,' which originated in the early 20th century in the United States. It is played by purchasing lands of various countries depicted on a square board and building structures to increase wealth. Through this image, the People Power Party seems to claim that some ruling party members increased their wealth by purchasing land in new town areas as if playing a game.

In fact, the image shows the real names of ruling party members recently accused of speculation on a board resembling Blue Marble. For example, Oh Geo-don, former mayor of Busan, whose family owns land near the planned site of Busan Gadeokdo New Airport, which caused controversy, and Yang Yi-won-young, a Democratic Party member whose mother purchased land in the Gwangmyeong New Town area in 2019, are included.

However, after the controversy arose, Representative Yang issued a statement saying, "I was not aware that my mother owned nearby forest land until the recent LH incident occurred," and explained, "I first confirmed the details during the first public official property declaration in August last year, but even then, I did not know that the forest land was near the planned site of the 3rd New Town."

Kim Tae-nyeon, Acting President of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 11th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, on the 11th, the ruling party proposed a full-scale real estate investigation of all 300 members of the National Assembly at the parliamentary level.

Acting Party Leader Kim said at a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, "We must start a full-scale investigation into speculation from public institutions to members of the National Assembly to reestablish fair order in our society," and "I propose a parliamentary-level full-scale real estate investigation of all 300 members of the National Assembly to the People Power Party and the Speaker of the National Assembly."

He added, "The Democratic Party is already conducting a full-scale investigation of its members, aides, and party officials separately from the government investigation," and urged, "The opposition party should actively respond to the full-scale investigation to restore trust in the National Assembly."

In response, the opposition leadership immediately expressed their willingness to accept. After the emergency committee meeting that day, Chairman Kim met with reporters and, when asked about the full-scale real estate investigation of National Assembly members, replied, "Let's do it once, all 300 members."

When a reporter asked, "Do you think it is also a problem if the families of public officials invest for capital gains?" he emphasized, "Public officials must thoroughly manage their surroundings," and added, "It is unacceptable for them to obtain information about their families and engage in speculative activities."

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