Controversy Surrounds Prime Minister Nominee Kim Min-seok Amid Allegations
On June 13, Kim Min-seok, the nominee for Prime Minister, arrived at the National Assembly's preparation office for his confirmation hearing in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The special committee for his confirmation hearing will hold its first meeting on June 17 to discuss the schedule and the selection of witnesses and reference persons. Meanwhile, the People Power Party has called for Kim's resignation, citing allegations of illegal campaign contributions.
On June 14, Representative Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party claimed on Facebook that Kim borrowed 140 million KRW from 11 individuals, including a person named Kang, in April 2018, which he suspects to be a case of 'splitting illegal donations.' Kang was previously involved in a political funding scandal with Kim in 2008. Joo further revealed on June 15 that a person who lent Kim 10 million KRW in April 2018 is currently an auditor at Kang's company. He also shared an article suggesting that two other individuals, who lent Kim 10 million KRW each, had not received their money back but were suspected of having made contributions of 5 million KRW and 4 million KRW to Kim in 2024 and 2020, respectively, questioning the legitimacy of Kim's loans.
In response, Kim stated on June 13 that he used the borrowed money to pay escalating taxes and had extended the repayment deadline due to prioritizing public debts such as fines and taxes. He claimed to have fully repaid the loans through a new loan. However, he did not address the additional allegations raised by Joo.
Additionally, the People Power Party has demanded the resignation of Lee Han-joo, the head of the National Planning Committee, amid allegations of real estate speculation. An online media outlet, Newstapa, reported on June 12 that Lee and his spouse had made speculative investments in apartments and redevelopment areas, accumulating significant profits over 30 years. The report also mentioned that on Children's Day in 2005, Lee's two sons, then middle and elementary school students, purchased commercial properties in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, which were later included in a redevelopment zone, suggesting that Lee may have gifted these properties to his sons.
In a statement to Newstapa, Lee expressed disagreement with the notion that his family's real estate holdings should be viewed as speculation or wealth inheritance, asserting that there was no intentional evasion of gift taxes when transferring properties to his children.
People Power Party spokesperson Ho Jun-seok commented that the actions of both individuals appointed to key government positions reveal the hypocrisy and duplicity of the so-called fake leftists, urging President Lee Jae-myung to withdraw Kim's nomination and Lee's appointment, and for both to make swift decisions regarding their positions.
