Former Yangpyeong County Governor: "Yangpyeong Land, Private Driveway... Unrelated to Highway Terminus"

Jeong Dong-gyun, Former Yangpyeong County Governor, MBC Radio Interview
"Kim Gun-hee Family's Land Alteration? Doubts About Development Intent"

Jeong Dong-gyun, former Yangpyeong County Governor affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, refuted media reports claiming that land owned by him and his family is located near the original terminus of the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway, calling it a "typical diversion."

On the 11th, Jeong appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "It is an area completely unrelated to the actual terminus section of the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway."

Jeong Dong-gyun, former Yangpyeong County Governor (second from the right), is answering reporters' questions after the emergency press conference of the Democratic Party's Seoul-Yangpyeong Highway Special Favoritism Investigation Task Force at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 9th. Third from the right is Choi Jae-gwan, Democratic Party Yeoju-Yangpyeong Regional Chairman.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He stated, "The terminus is in Jeungdong-ri, Yangseo-myeon, whereas the place where my late father lived is Asin-ri, Okcheon-myeon," adding, "The land I inherited is about 267 pyeong, and my ancestors have lived in that neighborhood for 400 years."

Jeong explained, "Our family is a typical farming family," and continued, "For us to engage in any development activities or anything like that would be a special favor. The People Power Party claims that a JCT (junction) will be built at the terminus, but you have to cross a large mountain, and it takes about 30 minutes by car from that neighborhood to the terminus."

He further said that the Yangseo-myeon terminus plan had been promoted even before he became governor, explaining, "This was a major local issue that all local politicians promised to resolve as an election pledge."

Regarding reports that he purchased three plots of land totaling 853㎡ (258 pyeong) in Asin-ri, Okcheon-myeon, Yangpyeong County?2 km from the original route terminus and in front of his residence under his spouse's name?he said, "Since the access road is not mine, if someone else buys it and blocks it, our house cannot access it," adding, "For years, the landowner's daughter came asking me to buy it."

Meanwhile, Jeong claimed that the land use change of land in Byeongsan-ri, Gangsang-myeon, owned by the family of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, was due to "an intention to develop."

He said, "That area, called Byeongsan-ri, is almost entirely agricultural and forest land," adding, "It is land where only farming is allowed, but the fact that land use and classification changes have been made for a long time means that although it was inherited from my late father, there must be some intention; otherwise, there would be no reason to make such changes."