[Public Officials' Asset Disclosure] Top 'Land Tycoon' Park Deokheum Ranks 1st with 23.6 Billion Won Reported

Dominated by Top-tier People Power Party

Park Deok-heum, a member of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference on the 21st at the National Assembly to explain allegations of preferential treatment in winning construction contracts from supervised institutions. Park is accused of securing construction contracts worth several hundred billion won through five family-owned construction companies while serving on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee since 2012. In particular, during the 2015 Seoul City audit, he directly requested Seoul City to adopt construction methods favorable to his family companies. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Among the 21st National Assembly members, the wealthiest landowner is Park Deok-heum of the People Power Party.

According to the regular property change report disclosed on the 30th by the National Assembly Public Officials Ethics Committee, Park owns land including sites, fields, paddies, forests, and orchards in 41 locations under his and his spouse's names, including Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul; Bukbang-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do; and Seohung-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do.

The value of these lands amounts to 23.6 billion KRW. Compared to last year's land value of 22 billion KRW, it increased by 1.6 billion KRW in one year.

Baek Jong-heon of the People Power Party reported about 5 billion KRW worth of land, ranking second after Park. Baek owns land in 11 locations under his, his spouse's, eldest son’s, and eldest daughter’s names, including Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam; Geumjeong-gu, Busan; Ulju-gun, Ulsan; and Yeonje-gu, Busan.

Jeong Chan-min of the same party owns about 1.7 billion KRW worth of forest land in two locations in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, under his name. Kang Ki-yoon also owns about 1.4 billion KRW worth of forest land, sites, and orchards in Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, under his, his spouse's, and eldest son’s names.

Lee Joo-hwan reported owning about 1.4 billion KRW worth of fields, paddies, and forests in 13 locations in Songjeong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, under his name.

Among the Democratic Party members, Lim Ho-seon reported 21 plots of land in Jincheon-gun and Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungbuk. The land value is approximately 900 million KRW. Democratic Party member Byun Jae-il owns a total of 14 forest lands, including one under his name and 13 under his spouse's, with a land value of about 900 million KRW.

From the same party, Kang Jun-hyun owns forest land, paddies, and sites in nine locations in Hwangyong-ri and Balsan-ri, Geumnam-myeon, Sejong-si, under his and his mother's names. The land value is 720 million KRW, which increased by 240 million KRW in one year.

Lim Jong-seong newly registered two forest lands in Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, under his spouse's name. The land value is 1.47 billion KRW.