Hwang Seo-jong, head of the HR Innovation Officer, apologizes for allegations of speculation by some public officials prior to a briefing on public officials’ regular property changes in 2021 held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 24th. yunhap news
The’love for housing’ of high-ranking officials was still there. Despite the Blue House’s message that it is desirable to dispose of one house for real residence purposes to stabilize real estate prices, one out of five high-ranking public officials subject to property disclosure this year owned two or more houses. Contrary to some fears that high-ranking officials would also venture into speculation, only three had land in the 3rd new city site. Even that was a case of inheriting or trading a long time ago, so it was far from speculation.
According to the regular property changes as of December 31, 2020, released by the Government Officials Ethics Committee on the 25th, 148 multi-homed persons with two or more houses out of the 759 employees of the central government whose assets such as high-ranking government officials and heads of public service-related organizations have been disclosed ( 19.5%). Excluding shopping centers, neighborhood living facilities, and complex facilities, this is a total of apartments, multi-family houses, row houses, detached houses, and officetels in the names of the public officials themselves and their spouses. Even though Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance, said in person, “Middle-homed people among high-ranking government officials should be left and sold,” the reality is that they still fall far short of government guidelines.
Among the ministers, Moon Sung-hyuk, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, was the second house owner. He has apartments in Malmö, Sweden, where WMU, where he previously served, and Suyeong-gu, Busan. Minister of Science and Technology Information and Communication Choi Ki-young, who was named as a multi-homed person last year, became the number one house by selling an apartment in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Vice-Chairman Choi Young-jin of the Personal Information Protection Committee (Minister-level), which was established last year, reported that he had an apartment in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul and an apartment in Sejong City.
The love of multi-homes has been passed down to affiliated institutions. Chung Kyung-deuk, chairman of the audit committee of the Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries reported six houses. He owned one apartment in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and two multi-family houses and three officetels in Seongnam, Pyeongtaek, and Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, in the name of his spouse.
Yoon Tae-jin, the former chairman of the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock, was a five-homed resident. He owns three apartments in Dongan-gu, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, an officetel in Deungchon-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and a new apartment in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do under the joint name of his spouse. Park Bong-gyun, head of the Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock Quarantine Headquarters under the same ministry reported that he and his spouse have three apartments in Suwon, Gyeonggi and one apartment in Gangneung, Gangwon.
The university president’s love for the house was still there. Of the 63 presidents and vice presidents of universities under the Ministry of Education whose property was disclosed this time, 19 (30.2%) were multi-homed. Samcheok Vice President Yoon Jeong-eui of Gangwon National University lived in Samcheok, Gangwon-do, and had two apartments in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul in his name, and an officetel in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, in front of his spouse. Seoul National University of Science and Technology President Lee Dong-hoon owned apartments in Seocho-gu and Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, and officetels in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu.
Three public officials who owned the land incorporated in the 3rd new town were Park Seong-jae, Governor of Hwanghae Province, North 5 Provincial Office (Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi), Seong-ho Choi, Secretary General of the Korea Communications Commission (Namyangju, Gyeonggi), and Hyun-min Park, president of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (Hanam, Gyeonggi). However, Park’s land in Hanam was not related to the recent speculation of land by the Korean Land and Housing Corporation (LH) employees, such as that the spouse inherited it in 1988.
As it was confirmed that there are still many multi-homed residents in the property disclosure of high-ranking public officials on this day, the government is worried that the unfavorable real estate public sentiment will worsen. The Prime Minister’s Office, where 4 out of the 15 people subject to property disclosure, came out as multi-households, published an explanatory data. We are promoting the sale of our owned houses.
Professor Kwon Dae-jung of the Graduate School of Real Estate at Myongji University said, “Because there is also a government policy stance, selling multi-homes by taking an initiative is to preserve the dignity of public officials. “It’s a pity that the reality hasn’t changed much,” he said.
Byun Tae-seop reporter [email protected]
Kim Kyung-jun reporter [email protected]
Song Okjin reporter [email protected]
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