The Investigation Committee on Saho and Daesang Park Ends Up 'Half-Empty'... All Democratic Party Members Resign

All members of the Democratic Party on the Special Committee for Administrative Affairs Investigation regarding the private development special project of Sahwa and Daesang Park in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, have resigned.

Democratic Party committee members Moon Soon-gyu, Lee Woo-wan, Kim Myo-jung, and Jin Hyung-ik announced their intention to resign from their committee positions through a press release on the 7th.

They stated, "We participated as special committee members to uncover the problems and truth behind the targeted audit of Sahwa and Daesang Park under the current administration and did our best in the committee activities, but the strategic and biased operation by the People Power Party committee members was endless," explaining their reasons for resignation.

They claimed, "People Power Party members conducted briefings disguised as official special committee press conferences without any discussion with Democratic Party members and even held solo press conferences," and "biased operations were also carried out during the special committee meetings."

Members of the Democratic Party serving on the Special Committee for Administrative Affairs Investigation of the Private Development Special Project at Sahwa and Daesang Parks in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, are holding a press conference criticizing the operation of the special committee.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They pointed out, "At the 10th meeting of the investigation special committee on the 5th, we proposed that the interim report should include both the Democratic Party and People Power Party versions, but this was ignored, and the People Power Party unilaterally adopted the investigation report they prepared by exercising undue power due to their majority seats."

They further explained, "These actions distort and manipulate the facts and truth of this project revealed during witness examinations and deny the purpose of the special committee's formation," adding, "we have officially expressed our intention to resign from the special committee."

Additionally, they emphasized, "We absolutely do not agree with the investigation report (draft) unilaterally approved by the People Power Party special committee members while Democratic Party members expressed their resignation intentions and left during the 10th meeting of the investigation special committee."

The Sahwa and Daesang Park investigation special committee originated from an audit result that found the department in charge of the private development special project of Sahwa and Daesang Park during the previous mayor’s term violated related laws, providing special favors such as exemption from purchasing public land to private developers and failing to reflect the portion of increased profits, causing the city to suffer financial damage amounting to several hundred million won.

At the 2nd plenary session of the 129th Changwon City Council regular meeting, the agenda to form the administrative audit investigation special committee was raised and all attending council members agreed, initiating the committee’s activities.

The special committee was formed at the end of last December with six members from the People Power Party and four from the Democratic Party. Both the chairperson and vice-chairperson were from the People Power Party.

Conflicts between members from the two parties over the committee’s operation methods have continued, causing disruptions and eventually earning the committee the stigma of being a ‘half committee.’

Although the committee decided to extend its activity period from the original deadline at the end of March to June to verify the total project cost, with all Democratic Party members resigning, whether the committee will continue with only People Power Party members will be discussed at the city council plenary session agenda scheduled for the 13th.

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