Workplace Community 'Blind' Conversation Leaked
Some Employees Spark Controversy Defending LH Speculation Allegations
"Even If Fired, Land Income Far Exceeds Lifetime Salary"
"Unaware of Seriousness", "Need to Wake Up" Public Outrage
On the 8th, a KakaoTalk conversation presumed to be among LH employees was posted on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind'. / Photo by Blind capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] It has come to light that netizens presumed to be employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) headquarters in Jinju, Gyeongnam, mocked citizens gathered for a protest, sparking public outrage. They reportedly made remarks such as "It's a high-rise, so we can't hear anything" and "Awesome" about photos of citizens gathered in front of the Jinju headquarters building.
The incident is expected to cause a stir as it occurred amid growing public anger over allegations that some LH employees pre-purchased land in new town development areas for speculative purposes.
On the 8th, a conversation from the KakaoTalk messenger app, presumed to be between LH employees, was revealed on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind.' In the conversation, one employee posted a photo of citizens gathered in front of the LH Jinju headquarters' PR center and Land and Housing Museum, and another employee commented, "Our division is protesting against the redevelopment of Dongja-dong. But since it's on the 28th floor, we can't hear anything. Awesome."
Netizens expressed outrage, saying, "They seem completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation." Given the social uproar over LH employees' speculative allegations, making remarks that appear to mock citizens is considered inappropriate behavior.
One netizen wrote on 'Blind,' "This is the reaction of LH employees," and added, "They seem to not understand the gravity of the situation." Another netizen said, "If it were me, I wouldn't post such messages and would just stay quiet," and argued, "This behavior shows how public enterprise employees have looked down on taxpayers."
There were also calls urging the government to conduct a thorough investigation, saying, "Employees who engaged in illegal speculation in this LH scandal must be rooted out and made to come to their senses."
A LH employee also claimed on the 4th in a post on 'Blind' that "You can't tell whether it was illegal speculation or if the person studied it themselves." / Photo by Blind capture
In fact, some LH employees have sparked controversy by making remarks that seem to defend the speculation allegations. On the 4th, an LH employee posted on Blind, "Is there a law that says LH employees can't invest in real estate?" and argued, "Whether they speculated unfairly using insider information or invested based on their own knowledge is a matter for the courts or prosecutors to decide."
Another employee said, "These days, with people scraping together every penny ('Yeongkkeul') to invest in real estate, among the more than 10,000 LH employees, some who bought land in Gwangmyeong might have just gotten lucky," adding, "It's noisy as if they abused insider information."
There were even remarks that seemed to justify illegal speculation using internal company information. According to a JTBC report on the 8th, an employee who joined LH last year shared plans on the company messenger to purchase LH land under someone else's name, claiming, "Even if I get fired for illegal speculation, the profit from the land is much more than what I would earn at the company over my lifetime."
However, the employee denied the claim to JTBC, saying, "It was a joke, and I have never traded land."
Farmers affiliated with the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the National Peasants' Association held a press conference condemning 'farmland speculation' on the 8th in front of the main gate of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) headquarters in Chungmugong-dong, Jinju-si, Gyeongnam, regarding allegations of land speculation by employees. / Photo by Yonhap News
Given the situation, public anger toward LH is growing. On the 8th, some farmers and civic groups gathered at the LH headquarters and staged a protest by sprinkling red pepper powder on the building and structures.
In particular, the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the National Farmers' Association held a press conference that day, expressing outrage, saying, "98.6% of the land speculated on by LH employees in the 3rd new town development areas is farmland," and lamented, "It is devastating that farmland is one of the easiest targets for speculation."
Farmers affiliated with the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the National Peasants' Federation held a press conference on the 8th at the main gate of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) headquarters in Chungmugong-dong, Jinju-si, Gyeongnam, and threw eggs at the LH building. / Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, the government has ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations of LH employees' pre-speculation on new town land.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun summoned Nam Gu-jun, the inaugural head of the National Investigation Headquarters at the National Police Agency, to the Prime Minister's Office in Seoul on the same day to receive a briefing on the "Special Real Estate Speculation Investigation Unit Operation Plan," and instructed, "Once the joint government investigation team's results are reported, conduct a thorough investigation without delay to leave no suspicion whatsoever."
He added, "The speculation allegations involving LH employees and public officials in new town developments, which were created to stabilize housing for ordinary citizens, directly violate the founding spirit of the institution," emphasizing, "Speculation by LH employees and public officials is a betrayal of the people, and those involved in corrupt acts must be exposed and ruined with a resolute determination."
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