Yoon Hee-sook "Father Put Land in Sejong City Up for Sale... Found Out from Newspaper"

"I'm Just Sorry for Making You Worry"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook announced on the 13th that she would sell her father's land in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong City, which has been suspected of land speculation, at a price lower than the market value and return the profits to society.

In a post on Facebook that day, former lawmaker Yoon said, "Today, the newspaper reported that my father's land in Sejong City was listed as a real estate property. I also found out about something I had never asked about before by reading the newspaper," opening her remarks.

She continued, "When I called, I was told that if the land was listed too cheaply, it could be misunderstood as trying to sell it at a bargain price to benefit the buyer, and if it was listed slightly higher, it could be criticized as trying to delay the sale with tricks. So, the land was listed at a price slightly lower than the market value, as recommended by the real estate agent," she explained.

She said, "I am just sorry to have caused my elderly father such worries," and added, "I feel embarrassed that it was reported as if I had made a promise and kept it, even though it was not something I did."

Furthermore, she said, "The promise and the effort to keep it are just from a father worried about his busy daughter," and added, "I humbly apologize to the fathers of this land who have spent their lives feeding and educating their children but always worry about burdening their children's future."

It is known that former lawmaker Yoon's father recently listed about 10,871 square meters (approximately 3,288 pyeong) of land in Sinbang-ri, Jeonui-myeon, Sejong City, which was suspected of speculation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in August, as a property for sale. The market price is about 500,000 won per pyeong.

In the past, Yoon's father purchased this land in 2016 for about 822 million won (around 250,000 won per pyeong), and the timing of the land purchase overlapped with Yoon's tenure at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), which sparked controversy over land speculation. As the controversy grew, Yoon eventually announced her resignation from the National Assembly.

At the resignation press conference, she revealed a letter from her father stating, "The profits from the sale of the disputed farmland will be fully returned to society as soon as it is sold."

Afterwards, on the 10th, former lawmaker Yoon announced her return to politics after about three months by joining as the chairperson of the "Tomorrow’s Korea Committee," a direct organization of the People Power Party's election campaign committee.

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