Deputy Minister of Agriculture's Wife Suspected of 'Split Purchase'... Government Says "Purchase for Weekend Farm"
Deputy Minister Park Young-beom's Spouse Purchases Pyeongtaek Land via Agricultural Corporation
Land Sold After Park's Appointment as Blue House Secretary... Ministry of Agriculture & Food Claims "Not for Speculation"
Park Young-beom, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (Image source=Yonhap News)
View original image[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Allegations have been raised that the spouse of Park Young-beom, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, purchased farmland in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province through 'split purchases.' The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has denied these claims.
It was revealed on the 14th that Park's spouse, A, purchased 66㎡ out of 2,612㎡ at 613, Hyeonhwa-ri, Anjung-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province in September 2016 for 50 million KRW through an agricultural corporation. At the time of purchase, Vice Minister Park was the representative of the Regional Agricultural Network Cooperative Federation, a civic organization related to agriculture. Currently, a total of 34 people share ownership of the land.
After Vice Minister Park was appointed as Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the Presidential Secretariat in May 2019, A sold the land three months later in August of the same year for 45 million KRW, incurring a loss of 5 million KRW. However, since the land is reportedly close to the site of the private urban development project, the Hwayang District Development Project, suspicions have recently arisen that this was a 'split investment.'
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In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained that Park’s spouse did not purchase the land for speculative purposes. A ministry official stated, "The purchase was made for a weekend farm near their residence in Suwon upon a friend's recommendation," adding, "The land purchase was known during the Blue House secretary verification process, and they intended to sell it immediately, but the complex rights relations delayed the sale by about three months."
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