Ahead of Yangpyeong-do Current Issues Inquiry, Ruling and Opposition Clash... Criticism Over 'Shock Therapy'

As the opposition parties are vigorously raising suspicions of preferential treatment involving the president's family in connection with the Yangpyeong Expressway, opinions between the ruling and opposition parties have diverged ahead of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's urgent inquiry scheduled for the 26th. The ruling party explains that the project consultancy was conducted during the Moon Jae-in administration and that there is no problem, but the opposition counters that it was carried out during the Yoon Seok-yeol transition period, not the Moon administration. There are also voices of criticism regarding Minister Won Hee-ryong's declaration to scrap the project citing fake news.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Sim Sang-jung, a Justice Party lawmaker, said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' "The government has the responsibility to provide evidence and explain reasonable suspicions to convince the public. They can provide sufficient data and explanations. Instead, they declared the project scrapped," adding that Minister Won "turned an issue that should be resolved through responsible administration into a political dispute."

She argued that Minister Won's declaration to scrap the project provided grounds for political conflict. Regarding a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official's comment that "scrapping is, in a way, a shock therapy," the Democratic Party criticized, saying, "Are they playing games with a national project worth 1.8 trillion won?"

Sim said, "What crime have the people committed? This is an abuse of power against the people," and added, "As I mentioned earlier, calling it opposition party rumors denies the reason for the opposition's existence. It is naturally a reasonable suspicion, and questioning it is the opposition's right and responsibility."

The ruling and opposition parties are expected to clash during the Yangpyeong Expressway inquiry. Kim Jeong-jae, the ruling party's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee secretary from the People Power Party, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' "The claim that it was made to Gang Sang-myeon, where the president's family land is located, is unrelated to the family land and was already decided during the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "the consultancy was initiated during the Moon administration, and at that time, alternatives for Gang Sang-myeon were already presented." The Democratic Party claims that the Yangpyeong Expressway was changed from the original plan to the 'Gang Sang-myeon alternative' to give preferential treatment to President Yoon's family, but the People Power Party points out that discussions about the Gang Sang-myeon alternative already occurred during the Moon administration.

Furthermore, "the claim that the Moon administration changed it to benefit the burial land of Kim Geon-hee's family is nonsense," he said, adding, "The preliminary feasibility study was approved during the Moon administration, starting in 2019, and passed in April 2021. In May 2021, demands for Gangha IC were already made, and Democratic Party county heads and party committee members during the Moon administration also requested it. The Moon administration issued the project order in January 2022. At that time, the directive to review alternatives was clearly stated as a factual matter."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the Democratic Party claims that the consultancy for the Yangpyeong Expressway was effectively conducted during the Yoon administration. Choi In-ho, the Democratic Party's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee secretary, said on MBC Radio, "(The consultancy) contract was only on March 29 last year, during the Moon Jae-in administration. However, March 29 was also during the Yoon Seok-yeol transition period. The consultancy was effectively carried out after the Yoon administration took office."

Choi said, "During the Yoon administration, the process of changing the terminus to the area where the president's family land is concentrated took place. That is a fact," adding, "In the feasibility study verifying the results of the preliminary feasibility study conducted over several years, it has consistently been concluded from the beginning to focus on the Gang Sang-myeon direction, where the president's family land is concentrated, and the consultancy was conducted accordingly, which is continuously being revealed."

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