[Column] Byeon Chang-heum and Kim Chang-ryong's 'Fist Greeting'... Investigation and Reform Both 'Distrusted'

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum, who expressed his intention to resign, is attending the 'LH Follow-up Measures Ministers' Meeting' held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 14th, and is fist-bumping with Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Photo by Jin-hyeong Kang aymsdream@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] On the 14th, during the "Meeting of Relevant Ministers on Follow-up Measures for the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) Incident" convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, a rather awkward scene was captured. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byeon Chang-heum and Commissioner of the National Police Agency Kim Chang-ryong entered the meeting room and warmly exchanged fist bumps.

To put their relationship differently, it was a meeting between the "LH president during the period when speculative activities were concentrated" and the "person in charge of the investigation into the LH incident." Among the 20 LH employees suspected of speculation found in the first investigation results announced by the government on the 11th, 11 were confirmed to have purchased land during the time Minister Byeon served as president. This investigation was conducted only on current public officials, and there is a public demand to include former officials who worked during the period when speculation was rampant.

Minister Byeon, a former LH official, naturally cannot escape the investigation net. Having served as the former LH president and now the current Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, he has already expressed his intention to resign in responsibility for this incident.

The LH incident is a major civil economic case that the police have taken charge of investigating for the first time after the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police. A government joint special investigation headquarters (Special Investigation Headquarters) was formed under the leadership of the National Investigation Headquarters under the National Police Agency.

However, the sight of a potential investigation target and the current National Police Agency commissioner gathering in one place to amicably greet each other while supposedly preparing countermeasures completely diminishes any expectations for the police investigation, which is still in its early stages. Also present at the meeting was Kim Dae-ji, Commissioner of the National Tax Service, who is one of the pillars of the government joint special investigation headquarters.

The public is despairing over the fact that during Minister Byeon's tenure as LH president, despite numerous suspicions of speculation, there was absolutely no internal control. Nevertheless, he appeared openly at the government countermeasure meeting to discuss a belated "reform plan." Although the greeting lasted less than a second, it became a scene that made it difficult to believe not only the government's sincerity, which led the slogan "eradication of real estate corruption," but also the measures to be announced at the end of this month.

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