Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Kim Inseop, 'Baekhyeondong Development Lobbyist'

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun), which is investigating allegations of preferential treatment in the development of Baekhyeon-dong, filed an arrest warrant on the 12th against Kim In-seop, former CEO of Korea Housing Technology, who was identified as a 'liaison lobbyist' during the project process.

Prosecutor's Office [Image source=Yonhap News]

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According to the prosecution, former CEO Kim is suspected of receiving 7.7 billion KRW and the business rights to a construction site restaurant (Hambasikdang) from Jung Mo, CEO of the real estate development company Asia Developer, as a bribe for facilitating permits related to the Baekhyeon-dong development project from September 2015 until last month (charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes).

The Baekhyeon-dong development project involved building apartments on the former Korea Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, covering 111,265 square meters.

The prosecution believes that former CEO Kim played a role in lobbying then-Mayor of Seongnam Lee Jae-myung, policy secretary Jeong Jin-sang, and relevant officials in 2015 to raise the land use designation of this site by four levels at once (from natural green area to quasi-residential area).

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