“I bought it because I knew it couldn’t be developed, but it was designated as a new city.”

Input 2021.03.05 18:53 | Revision 2021.03.05 23:11

Byun Chang-Hum “I didn’t buy it because I knew the development information”… R&D netizens’anger’
“The ruling party’s reprimand… I haven’t even started an investigation, but I’ve already concluded”
“I don’t believe in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport… A third neutral agency should investigate.”
“Why are you planting seedlings in private development?” “Are LH employees environmental activists?”

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Byeon Chang-heum made a remark affirming the allegations of land speculation by an employee of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), which is expected to be a wave. Minister Byeon said in an interview with a media on the 4th, “I bought it because I knew it would not be possible to develop a new city, but I think it was suddenly designated as a new city.” This is an acceptable statement, meaning that the purpose of LH employees’ purchase of land was not speculation.

According to a report by MBC on the 5th, Minister Byeon said, “I don’t think I bought the land in advance of knowing the development information.” This is contrary to the position that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has announced that it will accept land in a way that does not damage the owner when it has announced measures to supply housing.

He added, “It is highly likely that Gwangmyeong Siheung, which is bound as a special management area, is expected to be developed in private rather than a public new city in the future,” he said. “Don’t cite yourself, use real estate experts,” he said.

Special management areas are designated to prevent difficult development and cannot be developed for up to 10 years, and Gwangmyeong Siheung was lifted from the Bogeumri Jari housing area in 2015 and designated as a special management area, and is expected to be lifted by 2025.

Criticism is pouring from various fields, including the opposition parties, to the remarks to Minister Byun. Kim Eun-hye, spokeswoman of the People’s Power, said in a commentary on the day that “Minister Byun Chang-heum was convinced that LH employees would not know the development information and bought the land in advance. I bought it, but I think it was suddenly designated as a new city, and I’m already concluding on an investigation that I couldn’t even start in earnest,” he pointed out.

Regarding Democratic Party representative Lee Nak-yeon calling Minister Byeon this morning to say,’Have a sense of responsibility’, he criticized “the ruling party’s reprimand of summoning the ruling party to the ruling party’s representative, not being able to summon the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport in front of the people.”

In addition, members of the National Power of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Commission also issued a statement and demanded an immediate resignation, saying, “Minister Byun cannot escape the responsibility of this incident that occurred during LH’s presidency.” Jeong Ho-jin, a spokesman for the Justice Party, also pointed out that “the door of the National Territorial Committee of the National Assembly was locked and only the ruling party representative in power was allowed to receive a report from the minister.

Netizens are also raising their voices of criticism, saying,’We need to investigate Mr. Byeon first.’ “Do you invest 5 billion won without knowing at all?” “It’s a private development, so do you plant seedlings like sowing?” “I guess there are a lot of employees who have been depressed here. Do you have to be depressed to become public servants?” “Are LH employees an environmental activist. Do you borrow 5.8 billion to make a land accident worth 10 billion won and a forest?” came out.

There were also many reactions that they could not believe the subject of the investigation. Netizens left a comment saying, “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport does not believe. A neutral agency that is not under the power of the administration should investigate.” “This case is the tip of the iceberg, full investigation, arrest the person concerned, and punish the supervisor.”

As the controversy spreads, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is in a situation where it is set to take action. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, “We regret that there is a report that may be misunderstood as protecting LH.”

Meanwhile, the government plans to form a joint investigation team and conduct a thorough investigation of real estate transactions including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Affairs, LH executives and employees, public officials, and family members. To this end, the investigation team received personal information agreements from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and LH employees, and conducted a field investigation by visiting the LH headquarters in Jinju. The government plans to complete the thorough investigation as soon as possible, and then announce the first results next week.