"97 Document Requests, Only 2 Submitted"
"Only 14 Million Won in Other Income on Year-End Tax Records"
On June 18, the People Power Party called on Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok to "submit documents clarifying the source of funds, as he spent 800 million won more than his officially earned income over the past five years," and demanded, "Stop the deception and provide clear documentation of the funding sources."
On the 18th, Joo Jinwoo, a member of the People Power Party and the Special Committee on Prime Minister Confirmation Hearings, demanded the submission of documents clarifying the source of funds related to the property allegations against candidate Kim Minseok at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Bae Junyoung, the People Power Party secretary of the Special Committee on Prime Minister Confirmation Hearings, along with Kim Heejung, Kwak Gyutaek, and Joo Jinwoo, held a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, in the afternoon. They stated, "As of yesterday, 97 requests for documents had been made, but only 2 were actually submitted," and pointed out, "This makes it impossible to properly vet the nominee on behalf of the public."
They continued, "The core issue is the 'income data,' which is being tightly concealed, with the nominee saying he will only explain it on the day of the confirmation hearing. If he has nothing to hide, why can't he provide the documents?" They criticized, "It seems the intention is to gloss over the confirmation hearing, relying solely on the majority held by the ruling party."
According to the People Power Party, Kim Minseok's official income over the past five years amounts to 510 million won. In contrast, his confirmed expenditures total approximately 1.3 billion won. These include a penalty payment of 620 million won, credit card and cash spending of 230 million won, donations of 200 million won, rent payments of 50 million won, and 200 million won for his son's tuition at Cornell University in the United States.
The People Power Party stated that, upon reviewing Kim Minseok's year-end tax settlement records for the past five years, his business income was only 8 million won, and other income amounted to just 6.2 million won.
They emphasized, "In order to account for the discrepancy, other income such as condolence money or lecture fees would need to total 800 million won, but income outside of his salary amounts to only 14.2 million won," adding, "A search of available records did not reveal any significant events or lecture engagements."
They further stated, "The nominee initially claimed that his ex-wife paid not just half, but the entire tuition. That is at least 200 million won. This is not an amount easily paid in cash, so it must have been transferred either domestically or internationally. If he is to assume the highest appointed office in the Republic of Korea, at a minimum, he should provide consent for personal information so that the details of his son's tuition payments can be verified."
They added, "No matter how we look at it, we cannot understand why his assets increased by 800 million won over five years. If his official income was 500 million won but his expenditures were 1.3 billion won, who could possibly accept this?"
After the press conference, Joo Jinwoo told reporters, "The gap between (Kim's) income and expenditures over the past five years is so large that it cannot be explained. Today, it was also confirmed that only 14 million won in other income was reported to the National Tax Service. Kim Minseok has an obligation to promptly submit the relevant documents and provide an explanation to the public."
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