On the afternoon of September 2nd, at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly Steering Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Kwon Sang-do, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning Noh Young-min, Chief Presidential Secretary, regarding President Moon Jae-in's farmland acquisition status. 2020.9.2 [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Gwak Sang-do, a member of the People Power Party (61), has raised suspicions regarding the sale of an apartment in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, owned by Noh Young-min, Chief of Staff at the Blue House (63). He claims that the Banpo apartment, which was said to have been disposed of, is still registered as owned according to real estate registration records.
On the 27th, Representative Gwak stated on his blog, "According to the court registry as of September 27, Chief Noh Young-min is confirmed to still hold the Banpo apartment," adding, "It is customary for real estate transactions to settle payments within one or two months, so it is questionable why Chief Noh has not transferred the registration of the Banpo apartment under any circumstances."
Earlier, on July 2, Chief Noh Young-min, who strongly urged Blue House aides to dispose of multiple homes, had announced his intention to sell his apartment in Cheongju. However, when controversy arose over selling the Cheongju apartment instead of the Banpo one, he stated on his Facebook on the 8th of the same month, "I have decided to dispose of the apartment located in Seoul within this month," and apologized by saying, "I am sorry for not meeting the public's expectations."
Subsequently, on August 11, the Blue House announced that a sales contract for Chief Noh's Seoul apartment had been signed on July 24. However, according to Representative Gwak's press release on September 27, more than two months later, the court registry still shows that Chief Noh holds the Banpo apartment.
Representative Gwak said, "The Blue House has begun personnel verification for the autumn reshuffle, and there are rumors of a Chief of Staff replacement," adding, "The public is curious whether Chief Noh will choose 'position' over 'house.' We hope Chief Noh clearly reveals who the buyer of the Banpo apartment is and why the registration has not yet been transferred."
According to Yonhap News Agency, a Blue House official responded to Representative Gwak's allegations by saying, "It is true that the sales contract was signed," and explained, "The final payment is scheduled for the end of next month, so the registration has not yet been transferred."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
