Lee Jae-myung: "Yoon Seok-yeol's in-laws' apartment project in Yangpyeong approved illegally with special favors... Audit before resignation"

Lee Candidate "Audit Measures Before Resigning Governor Position"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 18th that the retroactive extension of the Yangpyeong apartment development project permit, carried out by the company of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's wife’s family and approved by Yangpyeong County, is a "clear illegal preferential administrative act that must be investigated."

Lee, attending the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit held at Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in his capacity as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, expressed this position in response to the same party’s lawmaker Kim Min-cheol’s criticism that "Yoon’s mother-in-law’s family company ESI&D requested project implementation approval in 2012 for the Gongheung District in Yangpyeong and proceeded with the project after exceeding the two-year processing period by one year and eight months."

Lee explained, "From the perspective of administration and as a legal expert, it is contradictory to refuse the construction of rental housing needed in Yangpyeong by LH and instead grant approval to the company of former Prosecutor General Yoon’s wife’s family. The project implementation permit expires after the designated period. Retroactively extending it is unacceptable."

He added, "If it is judged that a certain amount of housing, whether rental or sale, is necessary in Yangpyeong, it is naturally in line with administrative principles to entrust it to a public institution as much as possible, recovering development profits while supplying housing at a low price."

When lawmaker Kim requested, "Please initiate an audit in Gyeonggi Province," Lee responded, "I will ensure audit measures are taken before resigning from the governor position."

The Democratic Party has raised suspicions of preferential treatment, alleging that Kim Seon-kyo of the People Power Party, who was the mayor of Yangpyeong County from 2012 to 2018, allowed the family company of former Prosecutor General Yoon’s mother-in-law, Choi, to carry out the apartment development project in the Gongheung District of Yangpyeong, generating 80 billion won in sales revenue.