The Democratic Party and LH Establish TF for Investigation of Poor Construction... "Consider National Audit if Necessary"

Yoon Jae-ok Holds Meeting to Establish TF
Investigation Needed on Moon Jae-in Government Policy Line
Opposition to Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway National Audit

The People Power Party has decided to establish an internal fact-finding task force (TF) to investigate the mass ‘rebar omissions’ in apartments ordered by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH). A state audit will be considered if necessary.

On the 2nd, Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, held an urgent press briefing at the National Assembly regarding the defective construction related to the Mu-ryangpan method, stating, "Concerns among the public have grown as rebar omissions were found in 15 apartment complexes, accounting for 16.5% of the 91 apartment complexes ordered by LH." He added, "The People Power Party will launch a fact-finding TF separate from the government’s audit and investigation to thoroughly uncover the full extent of the apartment construction defects."

The TF will be led by Assemblyman Kim Jeong-jae, the ruling party’s ranking member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. Floor leader Yoon said, "I believe activities should start immediately from the 4th," adding, "Public concern is very high, and this issue cannot be delayed any further." He explained, "First, we will receive a report from the government on the situation, then decide on a timeline and prioritize the areas that need fact-finding."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this incident, Floor leader Yoon also expressed his intention to clarify the responsibility of the previous administration under President Moon Jae-in. He said, "Considering that the controversy over land speculation by former and current LH employees occurred not long ago, followed by the discovery of rebar omissions, it can be inferred that there were serious flaws in the housing construction project management policies of the Moon Jae-in administration." He emphasized, "If necessary, investigations should be conducted not only on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the previous government but also on the policy decision-makers in the Presidential Office to determine whether the failure to prevent this incident was simply due to lax discipline or if there was greater policy responsibility. This is the current government’s natural responsibility."

However, Floor leader Yoon distanced himself from the idea of a state audit for the time being. The day before, Kang Min-guk, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, had stated regarding the LH defective construction allegations, "The People Power Party will definitely expose the behavior that jeopardized public safety for their own benefit through a state audit." In response, Floor leader Yoon explained, "I think this is a declaration of intent to use all means, including a state audit."

He said, "If necessary, we will also consider forming a special committee for a state audit," adding, "It is not being excluded, but since a state audit takes a lot of time and requires agreement with the Democratic Party, and considering various practical matters, we cannot afford to delay. Therefore, we decided to activate the TF to accurately ascertain the facts and find ways to address the public’s concerns together with the government." However, he left open the possibility of further discussions with the Democratic Party regarding a state audit. He said, "Since this issue relates to people’s livelihoods, it is desirable to conduct a state audit if there is bipartisan agreement. We will listen to the Democratic Party’s position on the fact-finding and make a judgment."

However, he clearly opposed the proposal to simultaneously pursue a state audit on the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway route change submitted by the opposition party. Floor leader Yoon stated, "That issue does not meet the conditions for a state audit and could turn into a political battleground, so I think a state audit related to the expressway is inappropriate."

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