Mentioning Allegations Against Kwon Seongdong
"Fortunate That EDCF Funds Had Not Yet Been Disbursed"
President Lee Jaemyung has ordered the immediate suspension of the Philippine civil engineering project loan support program, which has come under suspicion due to alleged involvement by Assemblyman Kwon Seongdong of the People Power Party.
On September 9, President Lee shared a news article raising these allegations on Facebook and posted the following message. He stated, "I have ordered the immediate suspension of all procedures related to this project," adding, "Fortunately, the project has not yet commenced, so no funds, including support from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), have been disbursed."
The previous day, a media outlet reported that in February of last year, the Ministry of Economy and Finance had refused to provide EDCF loan support for a 700 billion won Philippine civil engineering project, judging it to be a risky project with concerns about corruption. However, the report claimed that the project was resumed due to pressure from Minister Choi Sangmok of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Assemblyman Kwon. President Lee commented, "It is meaningful that we have prevented the unnecessary waste of as much as 700 billion won of taxpayers' money and proactively blocked the risks that could lead to insolvency and corruption."
He further stated, "The media serves as a watchdog over those in power and acts as the salt that prevents corruption in society, playing a crucial role in achieving a fair world." He added, "I express my gratitude for the courage and efforts of the press, who have ensured the public's right to know by widely revealing the truth through this investigative report."
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