Won Hee-ryong's Risky Move in the General Election?..."Yangpyeong, a Stronghold of the Ruling Party"

"Ministerial Position at Stake"... Former Official Calls for Cancellation of Yangpyeong Expressway Project
"Bringing in National Projects for Political Presence"

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong's declaration to completely scrap the Seoul?Yangpyeong highway project continues to have repercussions. Minister Won dismissed the allegations of 'special favors to the Kim Geon-hee family' as political agitation by the opposition party and even staked his ministerial position on the issue.

Minister Won's actions are interpreted as an attempt to highlight his political presence ahead of next year's general election. However, even considering this political calculation, there are reactions that it is difficult to understand why such a bold move was made in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, a traditional conservative stronghold.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Democratic Party of Korea raised suspicions that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport attempted to grant special favors to the family of First Lady Kim Geon-hee, spouse of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who owns land in the area, after the preliminary feasibility study when the terminus of the Seoul?Yangpyeong highway was suddenly changed in May from Yangseo-myeon to Gangsang-myeon in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province.

As the controversy grew, Minister Won declared the complete scrapping of the project. On the 6th, after a party-government meeting with the People Power Party at the National Assembly, Minister Won told reporters, "We cannot waste national power while the Democratic Party's agitation frame is in operation, so all matters promoted under this government will be scrapped," adding, "Not only the route review but the entire road construction project will be completely suspended at this point."

However, since this project has been a long-cherished wish of the Yangpyeong residents for 15 years, voices calling for the withdrawal of the scrapping and resumption of the project continue. On the 7th, the Yangpyeong County Council held the 294th extraordinary session and adopted a 'Resolution to Urge the Withdrawal of the Complete Scrapping of the Seoul?Yangpyeong Highway Project.'

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Du-kwan said on the 7th on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal,' "He is someone preparing for next year's general election anyway," and added, "How could someone act like that without thinking they have to do something politically?"

Former People Power Party Leader Lee Jun-seok. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin also criticized on his Facebook that day, saying, "If a cabinet member drags in the opposition party and uses a national project as a political chip for his own political presence, this is nothing but political riot."

Criticism also came from the ruling party that Minister Won took an excessive step. Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok pointed out on Facebook that day, "I don't understand why they would stake such a thing in Yangpyeong, a super-stronghold area," adding, "Yangpyeong is a place where people vote for conservative parties as long as they don't nominate strange candidates."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party shifted the responsibility for scrapping the project onto the Democratic Party. On the 7th, Park Dae-chul, chairman of the People Power Party's Policy Committee, said at the party floor meeting, "The Democratic Party must know the inside story, but dragging the president's wife into this is highly political and strategic," adding, "The Democratic Party's baseless allegations have caused the greatest harm to the residents of Yangpyeong County. The responsibility for halting the highway construction project lies entirely with the Democratic Party."