[Inside Chodong] Truth Omitted... LH's Shattered Trust

"The construction project management service (supervision) was awarded to GS Construction, and the service fee was paid. It can be understood that the actual supervision was carried out by GS Construction."

At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's administrative disposition report meeting on the parties responsible for the underground parking lot collapse accident at the Geomdan apartment complex in Incheon on the 27th, an executive from Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) said this. Although it was an explanation justifying the disposition against GS Construction, it also implied that the responsibility lay more with GS Construction than with themselves.

Earlier, on the 11th, LH President Lee Han-jun held an emergency press conference and announced the submission of 'resignation letters from all executives.' It was also heard that four out of five executives had been processed for resignation. However, it was revealed that the terms of the executives who resigned had already ended or were about to expire. The statement about taking responsibility turned out to be a 'trick' to evade blame.

The announcement of the full survey on apartments with missing rebar also contained falsehoods. It was announced that a reliable investigation had been conducted over several months through an external expert group, but it was eventually revealed that five apartments with missing rebar were concealed.

When the issue of preferential treatment for former officials in design and supervision arose, it was dismissed as merely 'custom.' As the reality of the former official companies was gradually revealed and suspicions continued, only then did they announce a full investigation of these companies and a system overhaul.

Since the initial occurrence of the missing rebar incident in April, LH's response has mostly been like this: avoiding responsibility, covering up with lies, and trying to suppress the situation with tricks. Meanwhile, public safety has become precarious.

It has become difficult to trust LH any longer. In response to these criticisms, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong personally declared that a large-scale disposition and reform of LH would be pursued. Minister Won emphasized, "LH will undergo a rigorous self-surgery and external surgery," proposing innovation measures such as eradicating the former official cartel, restructuring business operations, and improving work attitudes.

However, the innovation measures proposed by Minister Won seem insufficient. They resemble the measures announced after the land speculation scandal involving employees in June 2021 and lacked effectiveness. At that time, the government declared a radical reform of LH at the level of dismantling. They also promised to eradicate preferential treatment through the establishment of strong control mechanisms. The reform plan included business restructuring involving downsizing and workforce reduction. Yet, after two years, almost nothing has changed. In two years, there has been only one case where employment was restricted as a measure to eradicate former official privileges, and functional separation has not been implemented.

LH's current reform must not be a mere show like two years ago. Above all, extraordinary measures are needed to strengthen oversight while minimizing entrenched vested interests. Time must not be wasted either, as the housing supply schedule could be disrupted. Already, the schedules of public housing projects promoted by LH, including the 3rd New Town, are facing successive setbacks. If the market is shaken while trying to correct LH, it will cause problems for the public's housing stability. This time, we hope that proper reforms will be implemented so that LH can undergo a genuine transformation.

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