Former Lawmaker Kim Hanjung Issues Statement Urging Mayor Joo Kwangdeok to Reveal the Truth Behind the "1 Trillion Won Data Center"

Promoted as if it were a confirmed "1 trillion won" investment
Potential for false or exaggerated publicity and violation of the Public Official Election Act
Organized posting of banners by mobilizing government-affiliated groups

Kim Hanjung, a former member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea (20th and 21st, Namyangju-eul), who has declared his candidacy for mayor of Namyangju in the upcoming local elections in June, held a press conference at the National Assembly press briefing room on the 11th, calling on Namyangju Mayor Joo Kwangdeok to explain the substance of the project and allegations of government-driven electioneering related to the investment agreement for the “Hwado-eup Data Center.”

Kim Hanjung, former National Assembly member of the Democratic Party of Korea (20th and 21st terms, Namyangju-eul), is holding a press conference at the National Assembly Press Center on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hanjung

Regarding the fact that, after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) without legal binding force, hundreds of banners proclaiming “1 trillion won investment attraction” were posted throughout Namyangju, the former lawmaker pointed out, “Publicizing an agreement that is nothing more than a letter of intent as if it were a confirmed investment carries a high risk of being false or exaggerated.” He went on to say, “Promoting results that have not been finalized as if they were confirmed may constitute a violation of the Public Official Election Act.”

He also noted that immediately after the signing ceremony, banners in the name of government-affiliated and social organizations were simultaneously posted across the city and on public office buildings, and stated, “If the city’s administrative power was involved in mobilizing these organizations, it could amount to a serious case of government-driven electioneering,” while also stressing the need for an investigation by the relevant authorities.

In particular, the former lawmaker said, “I am not opposed to attracting the data center itself; I am raising an issue with the promotion of an investment whose substance is unclear,” and called for transparent answers on three key issues: whether the contracting party’s capacity to carry out the project and to raise funds has been verified; the basis for calculating the “employment effect of 6,000 people”; and whether inspections and countermeasures have been conducted regarding concerns over real estate speculation around the planned project site.

He stressed, “We must no longer subject citizens to ‘torture by hope’ with investment-attraction publicity whose substance is in doubt,” adding, “What we need is verified investment and a sustainable industrial ecosystem, not a political show for election purposes.”

He went on to say, “I will keep monitoring to the end and present alternatives so that solid, genuinely productive companies can come to Namyangju and genuinely improve citizens’ lives.”

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