Seocheon County Governor's Family, Illegal Conversion and Reclamation of Farmland and Mountain Land Sparks Widespread Controversy

Illegal Landfill of 130 Tons of Mixed Waste at Amusement Park Site
Residents Urge "Do Not Hesitate, Take Legal Action"
Officials Say "First Time Experiencing This... Governor Must State Position"

Chungnam Seocheon County Governor Kim Gi-woong and his family have been found to have illegally converted farmland and forestland and illegally buried waste on county roads in connection with the creation of a recreational area, causing the repercussions of the incident triggered by a public interest report to spread widely.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 26th, Governor Kim and his family applied for a development permit on January 19 for the creation of a recreational area at 527-1, 530-5, and 538 Deokam-ri, Maseo-myeon, and received approval on February 1.

The site was confirmed to be owned by Governor Kim, his wife, and children.

However, it is known that Governor Kim’s family illegally buried farmland, forestland, and 130 tons of mixed waste while carrying out related construction.

This fact was also pointed out during the administrative audit of Seocheon County by council member Lee Kang-seon the day before.

Council member Lee claimed, “Governor Kim’s family buried mixed waste on the county road related to the recreational area expansion project and is attempting to arbitrarily create a parking lot.”

Earlier, Council member Lee raised suspicions of favoritism, stating, “Governor Kim’s family illegally converted farmland and forestland to create a recreational area,” and “while it usually takes an average of one week for a general citizen to apply for a development activity change, the county approved it within one day after department consultation.”

The county is known to have approved the development activity change application without on-site verification related to the project.

Regarding this, a county official said, “It was a mistake. We advised the complainant and treated the site waste on the 24th,” and “we will take action according to relevant laws and regulations.”

Regarding the illegal conversion of farmland and forestland, the official said, “It was a professional negligence,” and “we will take responsibility within the scope we can.”

However, Governor Kim stated, “I swear I did not violate the law,” and “I will review the related matters and take action according to legal procedures.”

A county resident pointed out, “I expected Seocheon to develop if business management know-how was applied to administration, but if the allegations against the governor are proven true, the governor must take full responsibility.”

Another resident emphasized, “I thought he was a pure and honest person, so I can’t believe he committed illegal acts,” and “since the officials have acknowledged it, the county office should take proper legal action without worrying about the governor.”

An anonymous official said, “This series of incidents was bound to explode. Although my public service career is short, what happened in the past two years is something I have never experienced before,” and “the governor must make a statement.”