Aftermath of 'LH Speculation Allegations' Prompts Blue House to Take Action... Will It Win Public Support?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the scandal over LH employees' speculation in new towns spreads, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Byeon Chang-heum has ultimately tendered his resignation. President Moon Jae-in's de facto acceptance of Minister Byeon's resignation is interpreted as a demonstration of his determination to prevent further spread of suspicions. President Moon also directly refuted the opposition's allegations aimed at him through social network service (SNS) messages.

On the 12th, President Moon used SNS to say, "I understand it is election season, but please keep it to that extent. It is petty and embarrassing," directly rebutting the opposition's 'farmland suspicion' allegations.

President Moon stated, "The president buys land with presidential funds and constructs buildings, but since it is combined with security facilities, the president only lives there and cannot dispose of the land," adding, "You can see this from former President Roh Moo-hyun's Bongha residence; all procedures are being carried out according to the law."

Earlier, Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the People Power Party, pointed out the controversy over farmland law violations in the process of purchasing the presidential residence site in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, saying, "The farmland should be restored to its original state and returned to the farmers." Regarding allegations of greenbelt profit by President Moon's brother-in-law, he said, "Do not take lightly the public's voice demanding the recovery of profits."

President Moon's unusual use of SNS to rebut is interpreted as an effort to block the opposition's offensive linking the LH speculation scandal to the Blue House. Earlier, when Assemblyman Ahn Byung-gil of the same party first raised the 'farmland law violation controversy,' the Blue House expressed regret through spokesperson Kang Min-seok, calling it a "baseless allegation."

President Moon's conditional acceptance of Minister Byeon's resignation also appears to be aimed at preventing the expansion of public outrage over the LH scandal. Regarding Minister Byeon's resignation the day before, President Moon said, "Complete the groundwork for the 2.4 measures and then retire," effectively accepting it. This contrasts with the fact that until the meeting with the ruling party's floor leadership on the 10th, President Moon had never mentioned dismissal. As a result, Minister Byeon is in a position to step down less than three months after his appointment.

However, it is uncertain whether public outrage over the LH speculation scandal will subside. The joint government investigation team revealed that among 14,000 employees of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and LH, only 20 are suspected of speculation, and excluding the 13 cases raised by the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Minbyun (Lawyers for a Democratic Society), only 7 remain. On the same day, the Blue House announced zero suspected cases of speculation among secretary-level or higher officials. This has led to criticism that the investigation is a "bland probe," making President Moon's emphasis on rooting out corruption seem hollow.

Attention is focused on whether the second investigation targeting administrative officers and below, to be announced soon, will produce clear results satisfactory to the public. A Blue House official said, "There are few hands and feet in the Blue House, but many people to investigate," adding, "We will try to finish as quickly as possible."

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