"Do You Live With Your Head and Feet in Different Places?"
"Public Will Only Trust Sincerity If Speculative Assets Are Disposed of and Remorse Is Shown"
On Proposal to Exchange for President Lee's Bundang Apartment: "Making Random Statements"
The Office of the President criticized the counterattack by Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, who owns six apartments and houses but claimed that "most are for residential use," calling it "an explanation that insults the intelligence of the public." Jang currently serves as the chair of the party's special committee on real estate.
On the 26th, an official from the Office of the President responded to questions about Jang's remarks, stating, "If six real estate properties are all for residential use, does that mean you live with your head and feet in separate places?" The official added, "The opposition leader should first dispose of speculative assets and show genuine remorse before the public can believe in his sincerity."
The presidential official further criticized Jang's suggestion that he would be willing to exchange his own home for President Lee Jaemyung's apartment in Bundang, saying, "He is making random statements to cover up his own shortcomings." The official also rebutted Jang's criticism of the Lee Jaemyung administration's real estate policies, stating, "The government's commitment to a 'money move' from real estate to the stock market is already causing a realignment in the investment market, and the stock market is responding positively as well."
Previously, the Democratic Party of Korea harshly criticized Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, for owning four apartments, calling him the "sweeping up real estate special committee chair." In response, Jang argued that the properties were either for residential use or served a specific purpose.
The dispute began the previous day (the 24th), when Moon Geumjoo, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson for parliamentary affairs, issued a written briefing titled, "Leader Jang owns four apartments! Isn't he the sweeping up real estate special committee chair?" Moon stated, "The People Power Party, which has created a paradise for real estate speculators, no longer has any right to speak about people's livelihoods," and added, "The People Power Party's hypocritical and abusive politics have already crossed the line." She continued, "The People Power Party is no longer a conservative party," and described it as "merely an interest group for real estate speculators and the very embodiment of hypocrisy."
Moon also mentioned the assets of Jang and his family. She said, "Jang has swept up real estate across the country, from Guro and Yeongdeungpo in Seoul to Gyeonggi Province, South Gyeongsang Province, Daejeon, and Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province," and criticized, "He owns four apartments, as well as officetels and single-family homes, and has even rented out an apartment in Daejeon, which is not his constituency."
In response to this criticism from the Democratic Party, Jang held a press conference that day, stating, "As a politician, I feel a heavy heart knowing that I own four apartments, while many citizens do not own a single home." He explained, "However, these are all properties with real demand and places where people actually live." Jang said, "Currently, I live in a 30-pyeong apartment in Guro-dong, and I inherited an old rice field and house in my rural hometown, where my elderly mother lives." He continued, "Before becoming a member of the National Assembly, those were all the properties I owned. Afterward, I purchased one apartment in my constituency and, for legislative work, bought one officetel near the National Assembly, bringing the total to four properties after becoming a lawmaker."
Jang further stated, "The combined value of the four properties under attack by the Democratic Party is about 660 million won, and even when including everything else, the total is around 850 million won." He countered, "Where did the idea that 1.5 billion won is the price of a regular apartment for ordinary people even come from?"
Jang also said, "I am willing to offer all my houses and land in exchange for the single Jangmi Apartment owned by Chief Floor Leader Kim Byungki, and I am also willing to exchange them for President Lee Jaemyung's apartment in Bundang." He added, "I am willing to exchange everything, so I ask President Lee and Floor Leader Kim to respond to my proposal."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
