Jeong Dongyoung Admits "False Address Registration Was a Mistake"... Denies Violation of Farmland Law

Jeong Dongyoung, nominee for Minister of Unification, admitted on the 14th to allegations that he had registered a false address in the past in order to acquire farmland, stating, "(It is true that I registered a false address)." However, he denied the suspicion that the purpose of the false registration was to acquire nearby farmland.

Jeong Dongyoung, nominee for Minister of Unification, is attending the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the 14th and responding to questions from lawmakers. 2025.7.14 Photo by Yonhap News

During the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on this day, Representative Kim Kihyun of the People Power Party pointed out that the address to which Jeong and his spouse moved in 2020 in Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province, was the same as that of Park, the seller of the nearby farmland. Jeong responded, "It appears to have been a mistake to register my resident registration at a false address. It is true that I did not live at that address." Regarding Park, he stated, "He is a village chief with whom I have no connection whatsoever."

Representative Kim also noted that Jeong's spouse, Min, acquired farmland in Donggye-myeon, Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province, in January 2021, and that just two months prior, in November 2020, Jeong and his spouse had changed their address to that of Park, the seller of the land. He commented, "If the distance to the farmland is too great, the purchase cannot proceed, so isn't it possible that you registered a false address nearby to obtain farmland acquisition qualifications? If the purpose was to build a house, it would have been more reasonable to purchase a building site."

In response, Jeong stated, "That is not true. It is possible to acquire farmland even from Jeonju, which is far from the farmland." He added, "We purchased 600 pyeong of farmland to build a house. Local governments actively welcome and support people returning to rural areas or starting farming because of concerns about rural depopulation."

Jeong repeatedly emphasized, "Local governments actively convert general farmland to building sites for those returning to rural areas to build homes," and asserted, "There was no illegal or improper conduct."