Candidate Oh Dong-woon for the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division effectively admitted to allegations that he used an illicit method to gift redevelopment land to his daughter in order to reduce gift tax, stating it was a tax-saving measure based on advice from a tax accountant.
Odongwoon, the nominee for the Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, is answering questions from committee members at the confirmation hearing held on the morning of the 17th at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)
At the confirmation hearing held on the 17th by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, candidate Oh responded to a question from Park Hyung-soo, a member of the People Power Party, asking, "Is it true that you paid 350 million won to have your mother purchase land in her name to reduce gift tax when gifting land to your daughter?"
Oh stated, "I paid 48.5 million won in gift tax when gifting 350 million won," and added, "Given that burden, I consulted with a tax accountant and followed their advice." He further apologized, saying, "I apologize for the part where the tax saving does not meet the public's expectations."
Earlier, it was revealed that Oh's daughter, Ms. Oh, purchased approximately 18 pyeong (about 59.5 square meters) of redevelopment land and a building in the Sanseong district of Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, under her mother's name in 2020 when she was 20 years old, for 420 million won. The controversy arose from suspicions that candidate Oh illicitly gifted property to his child to save on gift tax before the real estate prices increased due to redevelopment.
Regarding allegations that he hired his spouse as a dedicated driver at the law firm where he worked, paying about 284 million won in salary over five years, candidate Oh expressed regret but defended himself, saying, "I feel sorry, but it is true that my wife performed duties such as litigation support and driving."
Additionally, concerning the controversy over his defense of a stepfather accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child in 2021, during which he argued that "the victim's mother manipulated the case to use it for divorce and property division lawsuits," Oh said, "I apologize if there was secondary harm to the victim." However, he added, "Basically, I was defending the interests of the defendant, and this happened because I was representing only one side without knowing the full truth. I ask for your understanding."
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