Witness Absence in President's Residence Illegal Extension Allegation...Opposition Party Attacks Minister [2024 National Audit]

Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Press Corps

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On the 7th, during the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the issue of illegal extension of the Yongsan Presidential Residence was intensively addressed.

On that day, witnesses adopted to investigate the truth behind the extension of the Presidential Residence and suspicions of involvement by First Lady Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, repeatedly failed to appear. The Land Committee had adopted Kim Tae-young, CEO of 21gram, and Hwang Yun-bo, CEO of Wondam General Construction, who participated in the construction through 21gram, as witnesses for the audit, but they did not show up. The core of the suspicion regarding the illegal extension of the Presidential Residence is that an interior design company without a general construction license won the construction contract for the Presidential Residence by leveraging a personal connection with First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

Moon Jin-seok, the Democratic Party's secretary, said, “I suspect someone might have informed them of ways to avoid attendance,” and added, “We will re-resolve for their attendance on the 24th, when the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be held.” He continued, “If they do not attend on the 24th either, we will consider punishment under the law for contempt of the National Assembly along with a compulsory attendance order,” and added, “If they are complacently thinking, ‘We just need to avoid this once, let's wait out the storm,’ they should give up.”

Yoon Jong-gun, a Democratic Party lawmaker, pointed out, "Only general construction companies authorized to carry out extension and remodeling work can do so at the residence. According to the current Board of Audit and Inspection report, a specialized construction company not authorized to perform extension and remodeling won the contract," and added, "According to the audit report, 20 issues were found including this, and my office found an additional five. Among these, 10 violations related to the Construction Industry Act and the Framework Act on the Construction Industry fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

Ahn Tae-jun, also a Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "The Construction Industry Act is a law under the jurisdiction of the Land Committee, and its enforcement is handled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

In response, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "It is not an act completely unrelated to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," and added, "Although we did not carry out the individual acts, overall market and construction industry transparency improvements, including institutional reforms, are naturally under the Ministry's jurisdiction." Minister Park also said, "I believe the Board of Audit and Inspection has conducted a sufficient audit," and "I think there is no need for a separate audit by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

Meanwhile, Jeong Jun-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker, pointed out, "Regarding the Yongsan Children's Garden, although it was a Presidential Office event, the project was executed using the budget of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH)." In response, Minister Park said, “Since the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport did not directly carry it out, we do not have the materials,” and added, “I think LH Corporation, as a public institution, made an appropriate contract.”

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