Kim Dong-yeon "Considering Filing Complaint to Identify Upper Section and Main Body of Yangpyeong Expressway"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon criticized the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's internal audit on the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway as a "toothless audit" and stated that Gyeonggi Province is considering filing a complaint to uncover the substantial truth about the higher-ups and masterminds involved. He also urged the government to promptly proceed with the expressway according to the original plan and to officially apologize to the residents of Gyeonggi Province and Yangpyeong County for the ongoing controversy.

On the 13th, Governor Kim Dong-yeon said in a statement titled "Position on the Audit Results of the Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway," "I have insisted that the essence of the issue lies in 'why,' 'who,' and 'how,'" and criticized, "However, this audit result failed to clarify any of these three points, only formally pointed out procedural issues, and consistently engaged in 'scapegoating' by disciplining only lower-level officials."

He continued, "The original plan for the expressway was proposed by Gyeonggi Province in 2008 and was reviewed for 13 years, passing even the preliminary feasibility study," adding, "However, it took only six months for a revised plan to emerge, changing as much as 55% of the existing route, including the terminus. While pushing for a route change exceeding one-third of the route, which requires consultation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, there was no consultation whatsoever with the Ministry or Gyeonggi Province."

Furthermore, he pointed out, "At the core of this unusual and abnormal change was land owned by the Kim Gun-hee family located at the route terminus," and criticized, "However, this audit failed to uncover any facts regarding the allegations of preferential treatment or the higher-ups and masterminds who made it possible."

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province

Governor Kim said, "At least it was revealed that the government's claim that the revised plan was better than the original was false," and asserted, "The audit revealed that the route change was pushed forward without properly calculating benefits or conducting an economic feasibility analysis."

He advised, "This completely overturns the government's previous claims," and said, "The Seoul~Yangpyeong Expressway should be promptly re-implemented according to the original plan. The revised plan has been effectively discarded by this audit. We must accelerate the project to resolve residents' long-standing demands as soon as possible and also proceed with connecting it to the Yangyang Expressway."

He also demanded, "We call for an official government apology to the residents of Yangpyeong County and Gyeonggi Province," adding, "The sudden revised plan caused significant setbacks to the project and only intensified unnecessary confusion and conflict. Political and legal responsibility must also be held accountable for high-ranking officials, including former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong."

Moreover, he promised, "Now, what is needed is not an audit but an investigation," emphasizing, "The core is 'why,' 'who,' and 'how' this happened. The substantial truth about the higher-ups and masterminds must be clearly revealed. We are considering filing a complaint at the Gyeonggi Province level."