MoT: "Yangpyeong Expressway Terminus Does Not Overlap with President's In-Law's Land... Not Subject to Compensation" [2024 National Audit]

October 7 National Assembly Audit of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, "After thorough review, the land does not overlap"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Opposition lawmakers raised suspicions about the change in the terminus of the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway, claiming that "the expressway terminus overlaps with land owned by the president's in-laws," but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) refuted this, stating that "there is no overlap."

At the MOLIT audit held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 7th, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo responded to a question from Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party, asking, "Is it true that the president's in-laws' land overlaps with the expressway terminus?" by saying, "After a detailed review, there is no overlap." Minister Park further explained, "(The president's in-laws' land) is not subject to compensation."

Earlier, Lee So-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out during the audit inquiry, "The final alternative Route 1 terminus (Gangsang-myeon terminus) ramp, located 1.8 km above Namyangpyeong IC, precisely overlaps with the hillside land owned by the president's in-laws," adding, "It connects exactly to the president's in-laws' land as if drawn with a ruler."

The controversy over the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway began last July when the Democratic Party of Korea raised allegations of preferential treatment, suggesting that MOLIT was pushing to change the expressway route to Gangsang-myeon (originally Yangseo-myeon), which is close to the land owned by Kim Geon-hee's family, leading to the current suspension of expressway construction. These suspicions were again raised during this audit.

Lee said, "There may be doubts about whether the president's mother-in-law and brother-in-law were aiming for land compensation money, but at the time the preferential treatment allegations surfaced last July, black goats and turkeys were being raised on the hillside land," explaining, "If livestock are raised on land to be compensated, additional compensation can be received."

Minister Park responded, "I cannot answer as I do not know their intentions," adding, "There was no preferential treatment or external pressure, and the staff have a firm belief regarding this matter."