[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju, on the 7th, regarding the high public distrust of high-ranking officials owning real estate in Gangnam, Seoul, stated, "Even multi-homeowner members of the United Future Party should sell their houses."
Governor Won appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that day and said, "This is not a party issue but a matter of exercising public power as a member of the National Assembly to regulate and intervene in the private sphere of the people. If you are to exercise power, your hands must be clean."
He continued, "From the Presidential Chief of Staff down, they are showing with their whole bodies that they live according to the invincible Gangnam real estate signal. In this case, not only is the real estate problem unsolvable, but do they even have the qualification to discuss solving the real estate problem?" He pointed out, "Before ability or results, there is a dispute over qualifications, so due to the hypocritical duplicity of this administration, the majority of the people cannot even approach the real estate issue that pains them the most."
He added, "Whether they sell their houses or not is not the essence. Does the public get houses just because they sell? Does it solve the housing stability problem for ordinary people?" He criticized, "However, the problem is that the Presidential Chief of Staff, members of the National Assembly, and many ministers are clutching apartments or commercial properties in Gangnam and not letting go, so before ability or problem-solving, there is a dispute over qualifications."
Governor Won said, "To restore public trust for genuine home ownership and solving real estate problems, bipartisan discussions must proceed," and added that he plans to demand the adoption of the 'Blank Trust System for Real Estate of High-Ranking Officials,' which he proposed in 2007, as a party policy.
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