Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim announced on the 8th that he would proactively cooperate with the special counsel investigation into Kim Keonhee to uncover the truth behind the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway case. He also refuted the opposition party (People Power Party)'s claim that the travel bans imposed on certain individuals related to the Yangpyeong Expressway constitute political oppression, calling such arguments absurd. Instead, he asserted that the real oppression was inflicted by Kim Keonhee's family on the residents of Yangpyeong County. Furthermore, he pressed former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong, National Assembly member Kim Seonkyou, and others to "make a confession" even at this late stage.
On this day, Governor Kim visited the site of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway in Cheonggye-ri 54-1, Yangseo-myeon, and stated, "Former President Yoon Sukyeol once said, 'Elections are a family business.' The circumstances clearly show that power was used as a tool for the greed of Kim Keonhee's family. The special counsel must reveal who was involved, why, and how these events occurred, why the past three years were wasted, and how the residents of Yangpyeong County and Gyeonggi Province suffered as a result."
He continued, "Some opposition party figures who have been banned from leaving the country by the special counsel are claiming political oppression, but that is nonsense. This is not oppression of the opposition party; rather, it is Kim Keonhee's family who has oppressed the people of Yangpyeong County all this time."
He added, "If necessary, Gyeonggi Province will even voluntarily submit documents to proactively cooperate with the special counsel in uncovering the full truth. The answer now is to proceed quickly according to the original plan, and Gyeonggi Province will join forces with the central government to ensure the project resumes properly and as soon as possible."
Regarding the travel bans and direction of the investigation, Governor Kim also commented, "The special counsel's decision to ban key related figures from leaving the country is appropriate. Former Minister Won Heeryong, National Assembly member Kim Seonkyou, who represents this area, and certain high-ranking officials in Yangpyeong County who were involved must all confess the truth."
Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is visiting the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway site on the 8th, discussing with on-site personnel while looking at a map. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
The Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway is a construction project connecting Ogeum-dong in Songpa-gu, Seoul to Yangseo-myeon in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, spanning 27.0 km with four to six lanes. However, after passing the preliminary feasibility study, the route was abruptly changed immediately after the Yoon Sukyeol administration took office. The endpoint was shifted from "Yangseo-myeon" to "Gangsang-myeon," resulting in an increase of about 100 billion won in project costs funded by taxpayers. Some have raised suspicions that the endpoint was changed to "Gangsang-myeon" because Kim Keonhee's family owned land there, potentially aiming to increase the land value of former President Yoon Sukyeol's in-laws.
In response, then-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong canceled the project altogether. The resulting damage fell squarely on the residents of Gyeonggi Province and the public.
Governor Kim has issued three statements regarding the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway controversy. Regarding Minister Won Heeryong's decision to cancel the project, he called for its reversal (July 12, 2023). In his second statement, he strongly demanded implementation of the original plan (August 3, 2023). In March of this year, he called for an official apology from the Yoon Sukyeol administration, resumption of the original project plan, and an investigation rather than an audit into the related suspicions.
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