Nowungrae: "Wemade Visited Heo Eun-ah, Proposed P2E Privilege Bill"... Heo Eun-ah: "Groundless"

Nowungrae "Investigate Collusion Suspicions to Uncover the Core of Coin Lobby"
Heoeuna "Diversion Tactic... Never Met with Wemade"

No Woong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised suspicions on the 26th, suggesting that there might have been collusion between companies, stating, "Heo Eun-ah of the People Power Party was the main proposer of a bill legalizing P2E (Play to Earn) last year." In response, Representative Heo rebutted, saying, "P2E was not even considered as a legislative target," and urged, "Stop muddying the waters."

On the morning of the same day, Representative No issued a press release, stating, "Over the past three years, Heo, who has visited the National Assembly most frequently on behalf of Wemade, was the main proposer of a bill legalizing P2E last year," and argued, "The circumstances of the bill's proposal and suspicions of collusion between companies must be thoroughly investigated to reveal the real core of the coin lobbying."

Representative Heo countered No's claims as "a forced and groundless argument." Through Facebook that day, he said, "Representative No should study the metaverse first," and added, "Did you know that Facebook recently changed its company name to 'Meta'? If Facebook, which is moving toward becoming a metaverse-specialized company, is considered a game company according to Representative No's words, then what does that imply?"

Heo further explained, "The Industrial Promotion Act is not only about fostering industries but also institutionalizing regulations within the legal framework for new industrial sectors," and clarified, "The Metaverse Industry Promotion Bill I proposed mainly aims to differentiate between the metaverse and the gaming industry." He added, "P2E was not considered as a legislative target at all."

Heo Eun-ah, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In response, Representative No reiterated his position, asking, "So did you propose a bill that benefits Wemade?" He stated on Facebook, "The metaverse is not a concept strictly separated from games on a one-to-one basis. As a content platform, it can include gaming elements to any extent," emphasizing, "In that sense, the metaverse is a broader concept than games."

No questioned, "Why did the bill include the legalization of P2E, which involves virtual asset exchanges opposed by the government and related organizations due to concerns about gambling?" He asked, "If the bill proposed by Representative Heo passes, will Wemade, the leading company related to the metaverse and P2E, suffer losses or gain profits?" He continued, "Is it appropriate to hold multiple meetings with a specific company and propose a bill that grants preferential benefits to that company?"

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Secretariat disclosed on the 25th the 'Wemade visitation records during the 21st National Assembly period,' which included offices of Representative Heo, as well as People Power Party members Yoon Chang-hyun and Jeong Hee-yong, Democratic Party members Kim Sung-joo, Kim Jong-min, Kim Han-gyu, and Oh Ki-hyung, and independent member Yang Jeong-sook.

In response, on the 25th, Representative Heo stated on Facebook, "I have never met with Wemade, nor have I ever engaged in any coin transactions," and explained, "I confirmed this with the aides and secretaries who worked with me in 2020. They also have no memory of any meetings. The specific facts are currently being investigated."