Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: "Cancellation of Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway is a Shock Therapy"... Indicates Resumption of Project

Won Hee-ryong Likely to Announce Position on Project Resumption at Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport hinted at the possibility of resuming the 'Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway' project, which has sparked allegations of preferential treatment for First Lady Kim Geon-hee due to the change of the terminal point.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong attended the practical party-government consultation meeting of the People Power Party's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee regarding fake news about the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 6th. / Photo by Yonhap News

On the 24th, a ministry official said at a back briefing at the Government Complex Sejong in response to a reporter's question about whether the project would resume, "The cancellation was a kind of shock therapy, and Minister Won Hee-ryong said that the project would resume once the allegations were cleared."

Earlier, on the 6th, Minister Won stated at the National Assembly, "Not only will we review the route related to the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway, but we will also completely halt the entire project, and cancel all matters promoted under this administration." He also said that if he was involved in the route, he would stake not only his ministerial position but also his political life.

However, as the controversy did not subside, the ministry took a bold step by releasing all 55 project documents from the past seven years the day before. A ministry official explained, "We tried to resolve the allegations quickly, but since doubts still remain, we unprecedentedly disclosed all the materials." The intention is to have the public directly verify the information and to enable the project to be normalized promptly. The materials can be downloaded from a separate page titled 'Full Disclosure of Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway Materials' on the ministry’s website.

Moreover, as public opinion arose that halting a 2 trillion won national project based on a single minister’s word was excessive, the ministry appears to be shifting toward promoting 'normalization.' In a recent response to Park Sang-hyuk, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party, the ministry stated, "The Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway project is temporarily suspended (on hold), and subsequent procedures will be reviewed later." Regarding inquiries about legal and administrative procedures for cancellation, they replied, "Given changing circumstances, the project could be resumed, so it is not yet time to discuss procedures for cancellation."

The preferential treatment controversy began when the terminal point of the expressway, originally 'Yangseo-myeon' in the preliminary feasibility study passed in April 2021, was proposed as 'Gangsaeng-myeon' (an alternative) in the feasibility study initiated last March. This is because the Kim family owns land in the Gangsaeng-myeon area.

Regarding the alternative route, Lee Yong-wook, Director of the Ministry’s Road Bureau, said, "It is considered the best because of optimal economic and environmental factors." However, he added, "If we proceed with the alternative now, there will be allegations of preferential treatment, but if we go with the original preliminary feasibility study plan, it would be seen as choosing an unreasonable option, which could lead to breach of duty and audits, so we are stuck."

Meanwhile, Minister Won is expected to officially address the project’s resumption and related matters at the full meeting of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee scheduled for the 26th.

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