Hampyeong-gun Denies Allegations of Favoritism in Awarding Election-Related Contracts Through Private Agreements

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Recent reports by some media outlets alleging that Lee Sang-ik, the mayor of Hampyeong County, and certain Democratic Party members received preferential non-competitive contracts over the past year have been found to be inaccurate.

On the 23rd, Hampyeong County in Jeollanam-do stated on the 27th that reports claiming that non-competitive contracts were awarded as favors to those who helped during the county mayoral election or to specific Democratic Party members are groundless.

Some media reported that from April 15, 2020, to May 2, 2021, among 1,105 non-competitive contracts under 50 million KRW for construction in Hampyeong County, 3.6 billion KRW was awarded through 351 contracts to 14 companies, with 2.3 billion KRW going to specific party members and 1.3 billion KRW to companies that supported the mayoral election.

However, the companies mentioned in the reports were actually unrelated to the election, and some even supported the opposing candidate during last year’s election, revealing the reports to be unfounded.

According to an analysis by the accounting department, among the 14 companies accused of receiving preferential treatment this year, 8 had the same or fewer projects compared to the previous year, and 6 companies saw a reduction in contract amounts by approximately 584 million KRW, confirming discrepancies with the reported facts.

Additionally, comparing the same period about a year ago, Hampyeong County executed 1,139 non-competitive contracts under 50 million KRW totaling 11.6 billion KRW, with the total number of contracts decreasing by about 2.99% from 1,139 last year to 1,105.

Hampyeong County’s non-competitive contracts are awarded transparently and fairly, with the project department comprehensively considering factors such as the company’s sincerity, responsibility, construction capability, promptness, occurrence of complaints, and post-completion defect repairs when selecting contractors.

Non-competitive contracts have the advantage of simplified procedures and allow for quick construction by selecting trusted local companies, especially in urgent cases like disaster recovery, minimizing complaints and reducing administrative waste.

This method is implemented uniformly by local governments nationwide.

All contracts for construction, services, and supplies ordered by the county are disclosed in detail on the county’s website using a real-time contract information disclosure system, allowing anyone to easily verify bidding information, contract status, non-competitive contracts, and payment status.

A county official emphasized, “Through comprehensive accounting training for all employees, we will eradicate the root causes of preferential treatment controversies and realize transparent and fair contract administration.”