Busan Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Four Companies Managed by National Assembly Member Jeon Bong-min's Family

Suspicion of Special Privileges in Ijin Bay City Development, Busan Suyeong-gu Ijin General Construction Co., Ltd. and IJ Dongsu, etc.

Busan Police Agency.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] It has been revealed that the police investigating allegations of preferential treatment in the Ijin Bay City project involving National Assembly member Jeon Bong-min (Busan Suyeong-gu, Independent) conducted a search and seizure of four companies managed by Jeon's family.

According to the Busan Police Agency on the 18th, the Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Investigation Unit conducted a search and seizure on the 13th of four related companies, including Ijin General Construction Co., Ltd. in Suyeong-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, which is the de facto developer of Hillstate Ijin Bay City, and its subsidiary IJ Dongsu.

Hillstate Ijin Bay City is a project to build three residential-commercial complex apartment buildings with six underground floors and 69 above-ground floors, along with a 4-star hotel, located in Amnam-dong, Seo-gu, Busan.

There were allegations of preferential treatment after the district unit plan was changed to increase the residential ratio from the original 50% to 80%.

Controversy arose after it was confirmed that a former Busan city official, who is related by marriage to the assembly member Jeon, participated as a private committee member in the Busan City Joint Committee that decides the residential ratio.

Jeon left the People Power Party last year and is currently an independent after allegations of preferential treatment in the Ijin Bay City project surfaced.

The police have been investigating suspicions of collusion between Jeon's family and the local district office officials.

In mid-last month, the police summoned and questioned former Seo-gu Mayor Park Geuk-je twice, and also investigated two officials responsible for the project's permits and approvals.

The police focused their investigation on whether former Mayor Park exerted improper influence during the selection process of the development scope for this project. Park denied all allegations.

Former Mayor Park claimed, "Seo-gu only played the role of delivering the project proposal submitted by the Ijin Bay City side to the Busan City Joint Committee."