Cheong Wa Dae pays close attention to Daejang-dong scandal

In a meeting with presidential office staff on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in urged to conduct thorough investigations on alleged favors related to the Daejang-dong development project, an urban development project at Seongnam City. Cheong Wa Dae announced that it “is considering the issue seriously and observing the allegations”, which is the first time for the presidential office to issue a stance against the scandal. Ruling and opposition parties had been in a heated debate in a national audit hearing at a National Assembly Standing Committee regarding the scandal and whether former Public Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol was forced to report the case.

Cheong Wa Dae‘’s comment was made in response to leader Kim Ki-hyun of the People Power Party who raised questions in the presence of press about President Moon’s stance on the scandal. “There are no further comments. Please accept the comments literally,” the official with the Blue House.

There are varying observations on why the Blue House, which had declined to comment over ground of political neutrality, chose to issue a stance on the scandal. The Presidential Office explained that its intentions were not political, saying that it was in response to growing public anger towards the scandal amid arrest of Planning Director of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Yoo Dong-gyu and other allegedly involved persons. “The issue may be considered political, but it is also a real estate issue. The announcement was made considering the public’s response toward the issue, particularly in light of previous scandals by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation,” said a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae.


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