On May 10, the Democratic Party of Korea called for an explanation, alleging that the city of Incheon had provided preferential treatment regarding a forest land in Incheon jointly owned by the family of Choi Ayoung, the spouse of presidential hopeful Han Deoksoo.
The Democratic Party’s Central Election Countermeasures Committee Rapid Response Team held a press conference at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "A 319,000-square-meter forest land in Namdong-gu, Incheon, was designated as an urban natural park area in June 2013 during the tenure of Mayor Song Younggil, but the designation was abruptly lifted in November 2016, just three years and five months later, under Mayor Yoo Jeongbok."
The Democratic Party argued, "The reason Incheon city gave for lifting the designation was that, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s 'Guidelines on the Designation and Change of Urban Natural Park Areas,' urban natural park areas overlapping with greenbelt zones were abolished. However, this is unconvincing. The Ministry amended the relevant provision on April 4, 2011, which was well before Incheon city designated the park area. If the city’s explanation is to be believed, Incheon should not have designated the park area in the first place."
The party continued, "Furthermore, the relevant provision in these guidelines is not mandatory but discretionary, stating that it 'may' be changed (lifted). In the Seoul metropolitan area, Incheon is the only case where the entire park area was abolished, rather than just a part of it being changed (lifted) under these guidelines."
They also stated, "The land was divided and gifted among family descendants, including daughters-in-law and grandchildren, yet Han was exceptionally excluded from this division of shares. Did he think that by not having his name on the deed, he could avoid the scrutiny of public officials’ asset disclosures? It is noteworthy that such division of shares is commonly used as a means to reduce gift taxes."
The Democratic Party further pressed Han and his spouse, asking, "Did you ever request Incheon city to abolish the park area designation? What was the reason for dividing and gifting shares of the land?" The party also demanded an explanation from Incheon city, asking, "What was the background for the removal of the Choi family’s land from the urban natural park area?"
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