The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s audit office staff (two from the left) are walking to the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 11th to request an investigation on the suspected speculation of a new city by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) officials. Reporter Lim Hyun-dong
It has been confirmed that three of the employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) who are suspected of speculating land in Siheung, Gwangmyeong, designated as the 3rd new city, have served at the Gwangmyeong Siheung headquarters. The likelihood of personal gain by utilizing the internal information obtained during the job has increased.
According to the data submitted by LH to the House of Representatives of the People’s Power of Kim Eun-hye on the 12th, three of the 14 alleged speculation employees presented by the Attorneys’ Association for Participation Solidarity and Democratic Society on the 2nd worked at the Gwangmyeong Siheung headquarters. In particular, Mr. Kim and Mr. Kang were in charge of practical work at the time of designation of the hometown district in 2010-2015.
From February 2013 to January 2014, Mr. Kim served as a manager at the Siheung headquarters in Gwangmyeong and oversaw the work. He was confirmed to have purchased land in Gwarim-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do in June 2019 with his wife.
Kang was in charge of land compensation at the Siheung headquarters in Gwangmyeong from February 2013 to February 2015. He was the executive director of the district’s land compensation business and a compensation expert who has been in charge of compensation for 10 years. He purchased the land in Guarim-dong, Siheung-si with other LH employees and owns his wife and shares.
Mr. Park worked at the Siheung Business Headquarters in Gwangmyeong from January 2019 to February 2020. Park purchased the land in Mujinae-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, with three other people.
As they are involved in the core business of the Gwangmyeong Siheung District, it is likely that they knew in advance that this area will be included in the 3rd new town. It is also speculated that it will be a key axis to provide information to the Gwacheon Project Division, which includes 8 out of 13 employees suspected of speculation.
If they used the information they learned on the job and used it for non-work purposes, that is, speculation, punishment is possible. The Special Public Housing Act stipulates that the use of information on the designation of housing districts learned during business processing for other purposes, provision or disclosure of information to others, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than 50 million won.
Rep. Kim Eun-hye said, “In a situation where publicly acquired information is used for private gain is a key requirement for punishment, their career at the Gwangmyeong Siheung Project headquarters will be an important clue.” “If there is a will, it is more certain that the prosecution should not rely on the investigation of the river, but the prosecution should investigate the flow of land and money.”
Reporter Lee Ga-young [email protected]
