President Kim Jin-suk of Korea Expressway Corporation Abruptly Resigns... Two Days After Controversy Over Excessive Rest Area Meal Prices

Second Resignation of Major Institution Heads from Moon Government Since Yoon Administration Inauguration

Jin-suk Kim, President of Korea Expressway Corporation

Kim Jin-sook, President of Korea Expressway Corporation, has abruptly tendered her resignation with six months remaining before her retirement. This comes just two days after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) launched an inspection into Korea Expressway Corporation amid controversy over 'excessive pricing of rest area food.'

According to Korea Expressway Corporation on the 23rd, President Kim sent an official letter to MOLIT in the morning expressing her intention to resign. It is reported that she cited 'personal reasons' for her resignation.

Since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, this is the second time a head of a major public institution appointed during the previous Moon Jae-in government has resigned, following former Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) President Kim Hyun-joon.

Kim, who is from MOLIT, served as the head of the Seoul Regional Land Management Office and the Administrative City Construction Agency before being appointed as president of Korea Expressway Corporation in April 2020 during the Moon Jae-in administration.

MOLIT and Korea Expressway Corporation are expected to proceed with the retirement procedures for President Kim and begin the recruitment process for her successor.

Meanwhile, Korea Expressway Corporation has recently come under public scrutiny regarding the pricing of food at rest areas. On the 21st, MOLIT initiated an inspection of the corporation.

This was due to the corporation’s refusal to respond to proposals for lowering food prices at highway rest areas and concerns that it leaked internal information externally for its own benefit, indicating a lack of willingness to innovate.

The inspection reportedly includes executives of the corporation as well as President Kim.

On the same day, MOLIT Minister Won Hee-ryong stated on Facebook, "'Lowering food prices at highway rest areas' was an idea intended to alleviate the public’s burden amid soaring prices, but during discussions, unconfirmed details were leaked to the media, causing an unfortunate incident." He added, "The investigation has led to strong suspicions that the corporation tried to resist reforms by leaking this information to the press."

Minister Won further said, "Such wrongful behavior ultimately represents the corporation openly resisting government reforms to solidify their vested interests. I have therefore ordered a thorough inspection, judging this to be an outdated practice that must be eradicated."