[Breaking] Moon Jae-in Government Statistics Manipulation... Prosecution Indicts 11 Including Kim Sang-jo, Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Hyun-mi, Hong Jang-pyo

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The prosecution investigating the Moon Jae-in administration's 'national statistics manipulation' case on the 14th indicted key figures including former Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Sang-jo, former Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Soo-hyun, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi, former Presidential Secretary for Jobs Hwang Deok-soon, former Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs Hong Jang-pyo, and former Statistics Korea Commissioner Kang Shin-wook.

According to the prosecution's investigation, these individuals pressured employees of the Korea Real Estate Board and Statistics Korea to manipulate statistics in order to conceal the failure of real estate, employment, and income policies aimed at 'stabilizing housing prices,' 'reducing irregular workers,' and 'income-led growth,' which were major policies promoted during former President Moon Jae-in's tenure.

In particular, regarding real estate statistics, it was confirmed that from July 2017, shortly after former President Moon took office, until November 2011 at the end of his term?a total of 4 years and 6 months?the 'weekly housing price fluctuation rate' was manipulated 125 times. The manipulation was concentrated around the time just before the second anniversary of Moon's inauguration, right before the 21st general election, and immediately after the announcement of real estate measures.

The Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Park Jae-eok) announced the investigation results of the Moon Jae-in administration's 'national statistics manipulation' case on the afternoon of the same day.

Regarding the manipulation of 'housing statistics,' the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office indicted seven individuals without detention, including former Secretaries Kim Sang-jo and Kim Soo-hyun, former Minister Kim Hyun-mi, former First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Yoon Sung-won, former Presidential Secretary for Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ha Dong-soo, and two former directors of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Housing Office.

Former Secretaries Kim Sang-jo, Kim Soo-hyun, former Minister Kim Hyun-mi, and former Vice Minister Yoon Sung-won are charged with abuse of authority and violation of the Statistics Act for ordering the midweek survey implementation, prior provision of fluctuation rates, and reexamination of fluctuation rates of the 'weekly housing price fluctuation rate' calculated by the Korea Real Estate Board during their respective tenures from June 2017 to November 2021.

Former Secretary Ha Dong-soo and the two former directors of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Housing Office are charged with abuse of authority and violation of the Statistics Act for ordering reexamination of fluctuation rates during their respective tenures from July 2018 to July 2021.

According to the prosecution, these individuals instructed that the 'weekly housing price fluctuation rate,' which by law was reported only once a week to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, be identified in advance and reported three times a week to the Presidential Secretariat before publication, with the intent to influence the perception that housing prices had stabilized due to the government's real estate measures.

Additionally, the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office indicted former Secretary Kim Sang-jo, former Secretary Hwang Deok-soon, former Presidential Secretary for Job Planning Lee Jun-hyup, and former Statistics Korea Commissioner Kang Shin-wook without detention on charges of abuse of authority and violation of the Statistics Act related to employment statistics. Former Secretary Hong Jang-pyo was also indicted without detention on charges of abuse of authority related to income statistics manipulation.

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