Kim Ki-hyun Faces Political Backlash Over 'Ulsan Land Speculation' Allegations... Calls for 'Candidate Withdrawal' (Comprehensive)

Democratic Party Fact-Finding Team "Must Uncover Corruption"
Ruling Party Leadership Candidates "Resign"
Kim Ki-hyun "Requesting Investigation by Authorities Today"

The political sphere is intensifying its full-scale offensive on the 26th regarding Kim Gi-hyeon, the People Power Party's candidate for party leader, and the 'Ulsan KTX station area land price speculation allegations,' causing a significant stir. In response, candidate Kim has vowed to formally request an investigation from law enforcement agencies.

The Democratic Party's 'Kim Gi-hyeon Land Speculation Investigation Team' held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, stating, "The public is curious about how much corruption candidate Kim has committed by utilizing the legal cartel and the local entrenched and construction power networks," and added, "A special prosecutor must be appointed to thoroughly expose the local entrenched and construction corruption to the public."

The speculation allegations against candidate Kim involve the 2007 Ulsan KTX station area connecting road route, which was altered from the original plan to pass through forest land owned by Kim, resulting in him allegedly gaining a price difference.

The investigation team said, "From 1996 to August 1998, candidate Kim served as a legal advisor for Ulsan Metropolitan City, placing him in a position to utilize insider information," and criticized, "After the Shin-Gyeongju station was confirmed in 1997, a campaign to attract Ulsan station began, and one year later, candidate Kim purchased land in Gusu-ri near the KTX route. The claim that 'the land purchase is unrelated because the KTX Ulsan station discussion occurred five years after buying the land' is false."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Democratic Party claimed that the price difference for the site was at least 1,800 times. The investigation team explained, "For forest land with no transactions, the difference between actual transaction prices and official land prices is not significant, so estimating with the 1998 official land price, candidate Kim's land was valued at 1,000 KRW per pyeong," and added, "In 2020, the actual transaction price for natural green areas next to the nearby station area road was 1.83 million KRW per pyeong." They further stated, "Candidate Kim bought the disputed land at 5.5 times the official land price, and the reason for this must also be clarified."

On the same day, candidates running for the party leadership in the People Power Party's March 8 convention simultaneously targeted the leading candidate Kim. Lee Jong-cheol, chief spokesperson for candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's camp, issued a statement saying, "If candidate Kim is truly a great politician worthy of becoming party leader, he should lower himself and reflect on the suspicions raised within the party instead of intimidating those who raised them," and criticized, "If he really committed no illegal acts, he should request an investigation on himself first rather than suing others."

Candidate Cheon Ha-ram also responded on Facebook, saying, "Candidate Kim claims every day that the Moon Jae-in administration oppressed him with 39 searches and seizures, but if the Moon administration's investigation was oppression and suppression, then is it justice for candidate Kim to request investigations on party members?" He added, "If our party comrades or the public are investigated due to candidate Kim's request, I will actively defend them."

Candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn also stated on Facebook, "Candidate Kim talks as if the land is useless and a loss, but why did people flock to that land and try to buy it even by dividing it?" and urged, "Stop lying and courageously resign for the party, the president, and the country."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As the controversy continued, candidate Kim decided to formally request an investigation from law enforcement agencies to verify the 'Ulsan KTX station area land price speculation allegations.'

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that morning, candidate Kim said, "I have never committed any illegal acts, so I want to request a thorough investigation today into the Ulsan land issue that is being forced as a problem," and added, "I hope the investigation will thoroughly determine whether I am telling the truth or lying."

He continued, "If I abused authority to illegally change road plans or illegally gained 1,800 times the price difference related to my Ulsan land, I will immediately leave politics," and warned, "Conversely, I will hold some irresponsible politicians who have defamed me and our party with baseless slander and black propaganda politically and legally accountable based on the investigation results."

Regarding the Democratic Party's suspicion that "the circumstances under which candidate Kim purchased the KTX station area land from Kim Jeong-gon are suspicious," candidate Kim refuted in a back briefing after the press conference, calling it "absurd fake news" and stating, "I did not even set foot in the lawyer's office."