[Exclusive][Free Pass Farmland Qualification④] Over 8,000 Cases Issued in Gwangmyeong-Siheung Over 5 Years

Saplings were planted on a piece of land in Gwarim-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, where allegations of land speculation by some employees of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) in the Gwangmyeong-Siheung new town have been raised, on the 10th of last month.
/Siheung=Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

It has been revealed that over the past five years, more than 8,000 farmland acquisition qualification certificates were issued in Gwangmyeong and Siheung, where the land speculation scandal involving employees of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) was triggered. The issuance rate compared to the number of applications nearly reached 100%.

According to data exclusively obtained by Asia Economy on the 22nd through the office of Kim Eun-hye, a member of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party, titled 'Number of Applications and Issuances of Gyeonggi Province Farmland Acquisition Qualification Certificates by Year in the Last 5 Years,' a total of 8,261 farmland acquisition qualification certificates were issued in Gwangmyeong and Siheung from 2017 to March 2021.

In Gwangmyeong, 1,394 applications were received over five years, and 1,369 certificates were issued, resulting in an issuance rate of 98.2%. In Siheung, during the same period, 6,903 applications were received and 6,892 certificates were issued, with an issuance rate reaching 99.8%.

By year, in Gwangmyeong, 100% issuance was achieved from 2017 to 2019, with 336 cases in 2017, 323 in 2018, and 226 in 2019. In 2020, 357 applications were received and 336 certificates were issued, recording an issuance rate of 94.1%. Up to March this year, 152 applications were received and 148 certificates were issued, marking an issuance rate of 97.4%.

In Siheung, issuance rates were 99.9% (2,268 applications/2,266 issuances) in 2017, 99.8% (1,865/1,862) in 2018, 99.8% (966/964) in 2019, and 99.7% (1,281/1,277) in 2020. This year, 523 applications were received and 523 certificates were issued, achieving a 100% issuance rate.

Gwangmyeong and Siheung were the starting points of the LH land speculation and corruption allegations. On the 2nd of last month, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) held a press conference, raising suspicions that about 23,000 square meters of land in Gwangmyeong and Siheung were purchased by around ten LH employees before the new town designation.

The next day, even President Moon Jae-in ordered a full investigation into land transactions by officials and their families related to the entire 3rd new town development. Within a day, a government joint investigation team was launched. As a result of this scandal, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Byun Chang-heum resigned after 109 days in office.