Jamboree Organizing Committee Signs 2.4 Billion KRW Service Contract with Democratic Jeonbuk Provincial Party Executive's Company

The 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree Organizing Committee has been accused of signing a service contract worth approximately 2.4 billion KRW with a company led by an executive of the Democratic Party’s Jeonbuk Provincial Party Committee during the event preparation process.

Image source=Yonhap News

According to data confirmed by People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Gyeong-hee from the Public Procurement Service on the 13th, Company B in Jeonbuk, led by Mr. A, who is the head of the functional committee of the Democratic Party’s Jeonju-eul District Committee, won eight service contracts issued by the Jamboree Organizing Committee from September 2021 to June this year. These included online promotion of the Jamboree, production of key event videos, operation of the delegation leader meetings, creation and distribution of promotional posters, and operation and management of on-site activities such as survival camps.

The total contract value for the eight service projects was 2,359,675,000 KRW, with seven of these contracts, worth about 520 million KRW, conducted as private contracts. Private contracts are agreements made by selecting a company arbitrarily without competition through public bidding. Only one contract was awarded through restricted competitive bidding, valued at approximately 1,839,000,000 KRW.

Lawmaker Jeong stated that the company had a capital of 100 million KRW and only three employees as of 2021, calling for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection.

In response, Mr. A denied the allegations, saying, "The Jamboree Organizing Committee contacted us first in 2021, and we uploaded promotional card videos which had good promotional effects on Instagram and other platforms," adding, "We have never signed a contract with Jeonbuk Province."

He also said, "I agreed because the Democratic Party offered me the position of head of the Jeonju-eul functional committee, but I have never actively participated in party activities," and added, "I am still a member of the Democratic Party, but I feel this matter is unfair."

Meanwhile, the ruling party plans to conduct further investigations into whether there are any suspected 'interest cartels' in Jamboree service contracts, such as the case with Company B. Lawmaker Jeong revealed that, based on an analysis of the Public Procurement Service’s Nara Marketplace, out of 272 contracts related to the Jamboree involving the Organizing Committee, Jeonbuk Province, Buan County, the Rural Development Administration, and the Saemangeum Development Agency, 188 contracts (69.1%) were private contracts. Furthermore, out of the total bidding amount of 219.167 billion KRW, contracts signed during the Moon Jae-in administration accounted for 160.543 billion KRW (73.25%, 85 contracts), while contracts signed under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration amounted to 58.624 billion KRW (26.75%, 185 contracts).