Regarding the Special Prosecutor's Investigation into Alleged Preferential Treatment for Kim Keonhee's Family in the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway Case
Kim: "It Is Important to Clarify the Problems in the Decision-Making Process"
On July 27, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport nominee Kim Yoonduk stated, "The expansion of the Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX) is necessary to promote balanced national development and to improve local access to the Seoul metropolitan area."
In a written response to a confirmation hearing question from National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee member Bok Kiwang of the Democratic Party of Korea, who asked about the necessity of extending the GTX, nominee Kim said, "If I am appointed as minister, I will actively consider ways to ease the financial burden on local governments."
President Lee Jaemyung previously announced during the last presidential election campaign his plan to create a one-hour economic zone in the Seoul metropolitan area by expanding and reorganizing the GTX network.
The expansion of the GTX is also expected to serve as a key means for President Lee to pursue the 'Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Autonomous Provinces' administrative system, which was pledged to alleviate over-concentration in the metropolitan area and promote balanced regional development.
The five mega-regions refer to the five major metropolitan city clusters: the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon), the Southeast region (Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam), the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region (Daegu, Gyeongbuk), the Central region (Sejong, Daejeon, Chungcheong), and the Honam region (Gwangju, Jeonnam). The three special autonomous provinces are Gangwon, Jeonbuk, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
When asked about strategies to balance efficiency and public interest during the expansion of social overhead capital (SOC), Kim responded, "Projects that are slow to implement or have low effectiveness should be restructured, and the funds saved should be reinvested in areas where they are needed." He added, "If I become minister, I will strive to ensure that efficiency and public interest in SOC investment are harmonized in accordance with the unique characteristics and conditions of each region and each type of SOC."
Regarding the special prosecutor's investigation into alleged preferential treatment for First Lady Kim Keonhee's family in connection with the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway, Kim stated, "I have not received separate reports on the ongoing investigation. The facts will be revealed by the special prosecutor's findings," and emphasized, "The essence of this case is whether there was preferential treatment for the First Lady's family and whether the project was halted inappropriately. It is important to clarify the problems in the decision-making process."
When asked about suspicions of organizational response within the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and plans for action, Kim stated, "I will not make judgments based solely on circumstances, and I will ensure that working-level officials are not excessively intimidated or become passive."
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