Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province and presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, who had previously advocated for relocating the administrative capital to Sejong City, is being urged by Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, to "properly explain and admit mistakes before resigning," with Lee's camp stating, "Yoon had it all planned." Currently, Yoon is under suspicion of speculation due to her father's purchase of farmland in Sejong City.
Nam Young-hee, spokesperson for Governor Lee's campaign, issued a statement on the 26th, criticizing, "Yoon's father shamelessly lied, claiming he bought 3,300 pyeong of land in Sejong City just to farm as a pastime," adding, "It’s not a small 5-pyeong garden plot but an enormous piece of farmland located in Sejong City, where many speculators gathered, which even a cow would laugh at."
Spokesperson Nam asserted that Yoon's explanation was a lie. He said, "The land (purchased by Yoon’s father) is near the Sejong Smart National Industrial Complex, which was adopted as a government national agenda pledge. The Korea Development Institute (KDI) was responsible for on-site inspections and preliminary feasibility studies of the industrial complex. At that time, Yoon was working at KDI."
He continued, "In this context, NoCut News reported that Yoon’s brother-in-law worked from 2013 to 2016 in the Blue House Secretariat and as a policy advisor to Choi Kyung-hwan, a powerful figure in the Park Geun-hye administration and former Minister of Strategy and Finance. It couldn’t be more coincidental," he added.
On the 25th, following the investigation results by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission regarding illegal suspicions related to real estate, Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, is leaving the communication center after holding a press conference to resign from her parliamentary seat and presidential candidacy. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Spokesperson Nam also criticized Yoon for her past strong support for relocating the National Assembly to Sejong City. He said, "How can someone who was a two-home owner just before becoming a tenant engage in such lies and deception?" He added, "(Yoon) actively supported moving central government functions en masse to Sejong City. Although from the opposition party, I believed Yoon was somewhat different," and then jabbed, "(But) you had it all planned. You really are different."
Earlier, on December 3rd last year, Yoon appeared on KBS Radio’s "Kim Kyung-rae’s Strongest Current Affairs," stating, "It’s time to put an end to the controversy over completing Sejong as the administrative capital," and proposed, "From the perspective of regional balanced development, move the entire National Assembly to Sejong and develop an apartment complex and park on the 100,000-pyeong site of the Yeouido National Assembly building."
Spokesperson Nam urged, "What you owe the people is not a resignation card or tears. Before resigning, you must unravel this inextricable knot that cannot be a coincidence, properly explain everything, and admit your mistakes."
Meanwhile, on the 25th, Yoon held a press conference to explain the real estate speculation allegations and announced her intention to resign from her parliamentary seat and presidential primary candidacy. She stated, "Since separating our family registry 26 years ago when I got married, I have had no knowledge of my father’s economic activities," but questioned, "What else could this unreasonable linking of my father, with whom I have lived independently for over 30 years, be if not an attempt to tarnish the reputation of an opposition party lawmaker?"
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