Hwang Boyeon, Seoul City Economic Policy Director, Investigation into Speculation Allegations Concluded... Sympathy for Restored Honor Arises

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit Concludes Investigation of Director Hwang Boyeon, Reported on 6th for Violation of Public Officials Ethics Act (Conflict of Interest Prevention Duty), with Non-Prosecution Decision at End of Last Year... Sympathy Grows Internally in Seoul City Claiming Reputation Restored

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seoul City’s Hwang Bo-yeon, Director of Economic Policy (photo), has been restored to honor.

The Justice Party Seoul City Branch and Kwon Soo-jung, a Justice Party proportional representative member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, filed a complaint with the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters in May last year, alleging that Hwang Bo-yeon, then Acting Director of the Planning and Coordination Office and a high-ranking public official directly involved in redevelopment projects, violated the Public Officials Ethics Act by purchasing houses and land in certain districts while knowing at some point which redevelopment projects would be promoted.

They raised suspicions that Hwang, who was the approver of the environmental impact assessment review report during the approval process of the Hannam 3 District redevelopment project in November 2017, acquired houses and land worth about 1 billion KRW in that district just nine days after approving the assessment report. They argued that it would have been practically impossible to purchase the land and houses at that time without using insider information, as the project approval was imminent.

Accordingly, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit summoned and investigated officials from Seoul City, Yongsan District, and Hwang, concluding that Hwang did not use confidential information during the real estate purchase process.

According to the police on the 6th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit decided not to prosecute Hwang, who was accused of violating the Public Officials Ethics Act (duty to prevent conflicts of interest), at the end of last year, thus closing the investigation.

The police, after summoning and investigating officials from Seoul City, Yongsan District, and Hwang, judged that Hwang did not use confidential information in the real estate acquisition process.

Furthermore, after comprehensively reviewing the house purchase process, document approval procedures, and the overall project implementation, they found it difficult to conclude that confidential information was used, and considered the process not different from a typical purchase.

Hwang was nominated as the candidate for Director of the Seoul City Planning and Coordination Office but was unable to pass the Blue House personnel screening process due to this case and was reassigned as Director of Economic Policy.

At that time, within Seoul City, there was widespread sympathy, saying, “Although there was no problem with the real estate purchase, it is difficult to express in words the unfairness of being replaced from Acting Director of the Planning and Coordination Office to Director of Economic Policy simply because of the complaint.”

However, with the police’s decision not to prosecute this day, there is a reaction that it is fortunate that Hwang’s honor has been restored. A Seoul City official expressed regret, saying, “It is fortunate that Hwang was eventually cleared with a non-prosecution decision indicating no charges.”

Hwang, a graduate of Korea University’s Department of Public Administration and who entered Seoul City through the 36th Administrative Examination, is regarded as a senior (Grade 1) official with the highest expertise and work execution ability in Seoul City, having served as Director of the Climate and Environment Headquarters, Director of Urban Transportation, Acting Director of the Planning and Coordination Office, and Director of Economic Policy.

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