Public officials’ property disclosure… Lee Eui-kyung, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, increased 1.2 billion won in a year

Lee Eui-kyung, former head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, reported assets of 8 billion won, an increase of 1.2 billion won in one year with retirement.

According to the government’s high-ranking public officials ethics committee on the 26th, former Deputy Minister Lee ranked first among retirees in February’s occasional property disclosure. Former Deputy Minister Lee reported a total of 8,016 billion won, an increase of 12.5173 million won from last year. It reported that the income from the sale of stocks, the increase in the value of the house, and the conversion of the house from monthly rent to cheonsei came in.

Former Deputy Director Lee owns Hanyang Apt. (82.55㎡) in Apgujeong, Seoul as a second house. The reported amount is 1.75 billion won at the public announcement price. In the name of the spouse, a total of 5,331 million won was found in real estate apartments in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do (142.01 m², 1,635 billion won) and Mia-dong shopping district in Gangbuk-gu (292.00 m2 of land, 623.22 m2, 1.94 billion won). With the report, former Director Lee said, “There was an increase in the value of a total of 600 million won in possession due to the increase in the public price.” The deposit held was 2,317 million won, and it was revealed that there was an increase in the deposit due to the sale of stocks and the conversion of monthly rent to cheonsei. The actual increased deposit amounted to about 1.2 billion won. According to the property disclosure, the Hanyang Apartment deposit increased from 300 million won to 750 million won.

The stock value, which was controversial even in the state audit, has decreased from 620 million won to 360 million won. Former Deputy Minister Lee stated, “After completing the request for stock review by the Government Officials Ethics Committee in April 2019, I received a reply that can be held.” The shares owned by former Deputy Director Lee are 6,400 shares of NVH Korea, a manufacturer of auto parts, and 79242 shares in the name of the spouse. It is reported that it has sold 140,000 shares of NVH Korea held in the name of the spouse.

The subject of this property disclosure also included Ambassador Roh Tae-gang, who was selected by the Moon Jae-in government after being relegated by former President Park Geun-hye as a “very bad person”. Ambassador Roh was appointed as the Swiss ambassador in November last year after serving as the second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism. The property reported by Ambassador Roh was a total of 1,023 billion won, an increase of 23 million won from the previous year. He owns a multi-family house in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (545 million won) and a detached house in Paju (489 million won).Unusually, he said, “We signed a sales contract in December 2019 and are transferring ownership” for Paju housing.

It was found that Hwang Deok-soon, former chief of the Blue House, sold only one out of the three houses. It sold a detached house in Cheongju (495 million won) and an apartment in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju (109.50㎡, 390 million won). The remaining house is an apartment in Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si (130.60㎡, 236 million won). The fortune reported by former chief Hwang is 1.81 billion won, an increase of about 240 million won compared to last year.

In this occasional property disclosure, the propensity to own a’smart one’ also emerged. Public Procurement Service chief Kim Jeong-woo (property report amounted to 3,262 million won) sold an apartment in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu for about 1.8 billion won, and purchased the same famous apartment for 2.6 billion won. He reported that he had borrowed 360 million won from a bank to purchase a house, received a deposit of 500 million won, and signed a lease contract. 2nd House owner Jeong Moo-gyeong, former Procurement Service Commissioner, left an apartment in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu (143.88m2, 1,923 million won), and sold an apartment in Sejong City (128.40m2, 450 million won). Jeong Jeon’s property report amounted to 2.39 billion won.

On the other hand, among the total 59 people subject to property disclosure this February, Hyuk-sang Sohn, the chairman of the Korea International Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was ranked first, Hee-seop Lee, Consul General of Fukuoka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (3.69 billion KRW), and Young-geun Ahn ranked third. The survey was conducted by the head of the Chonnam National University Hospital of the Ministry of Education (3.449.35 million won). Among the retirees, the first place was Lee Eui-kyung, former Minister of Food and Drug Safety, the second place was Park Seon-ho, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (3,511.8 million won), and the third place was Jeong Seong-woong, former vice president of the Financial Supervisory Service (3.4.37 billion won).

Reporter Kim Hyun-ye [email protected]