[2024 Asset Disclosure] Artworks, Musical Instruments, Suseok... Diverse Types of Assets Draw Attention

Among the 1,975 high-ranking officials who disclosed their assets this year, there were individuals who owned various assets beyond bank deposits and real estate. Unique assets such as sculptures, paintings, prints, ceramics, musical instruments, and antiques were revealed.

The Government Officials Ethics Committee disclosed the asset details of political appointees under the executive branch, senior civil servants of grade A, presidents of national universities, heads of public-related organizations, metropolitan and basic local government heads, metropolitan council members, and city/provincial superintendents of education through the Public Ethics System (PETI) and the official gazette on the 28th.

Byeon Pil-geon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, reported 19 artworks worth approximately 1.5378 billion KRW owned by his spouse. These included prints by David Hockney, sculptures by Kohei Nawa, as well as various Western paintings and sculptures.

Yu Cheon-ho, Mayor of Ganghwa County, owned various antiques and artworks. He reported assets worth about 530 million KRW, including prehistoric ceramics, Stone Age stone swords, armor from the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo Dynasty ceramics, and Joseon Dynasty Buncheong ceramics.

Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, reported sculptures worth approximately 55 million KRW under his spouse's name and health club and spa memberships worth about 120 million KRW.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Photo by Yonhap News

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Cho Sung-don, Chairman of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, reported three calligraphy pieces by the late former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil valued at 9 million KRW, while Kim Kwang-rae, President of Gangwon Provincial University, newly registered a calligraphy work by former President Lee Myung-bak valued at 5 million KRW.

There were also many high-ranking officials who owned musical instruments. Kim Sun-hee, a member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council and a harpist, reported musical instruments worth about 400 million KRW, including an electronic harp, owned by herself.

Park Jin, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, registered a violin worth 70 million KRW owned by his spouse, along with jewelry such as diamond rings and brooches worth 15.3 million KRW.

Shin Ja-yong, Director of the Prosecutor's Office at the Ministry of Justice, registered a double bass worth 63 million KRW under his spouse's name.

Kim Chae-hwan, President of the National Human Resources Development Institute, reported antiques including audio speakers, turntables, amplifiers, and vacuum tube components worth 90 million KRW.

Ji Gwang-cheon, a member of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Council Secretariat, owned stones worth about 60 million KRW.

There were also notable cases of officials owning securities and overseas real estate assets. Lee Gwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, reported holding Brazilian government bonds worth 350 million KRW. He also reported health club memberships worth approximately 30 million KRW and 36 million KRW under his and his spouse's names, respectively. Lee Yang-sang, International Legal Secretary at the Presidential Office, reported a health club membership worth 74.5 million KRW.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, owned an apartment in Honolulu, Hawaii, worth approximately 1.37 billion KRW under his spouse's name.

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