'Special supply for displaced residents out of step with government policy'

'Pushing Kim Seung-won through sends a bad signal'

Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram. [Yonhap]
Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram. [Yonhap]

Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram on Thursday renewed his attack on Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for defense minister, saying the Seocho-dong apartment Kang obtained through a special housing allocation for displaced residents was purchased for 520 million won ($380,000) and now carries an asking price of more than 2.2 billion won.

Appearing on CBS Radio's "Park Seong-tae's News Show," Cheon said he had known Kang was a beneficiary of the displaced-residents program but called him a "shameless" one, adding that Kang owes the public a credible explanation and an apology.

Cheon argued that the apartment pre-sale was out of step with public sentiment. "Securing a newly built apartment in Seoul has become nearly impossible for ordinary people," he said. "From the public's perspective, this is deeply frustrating, and it runs counter to the Lee Jae Myung administration's policy direction."

Cheon also questioned the legitimacy of how Kang obtained the allocation. "He was a senior military officer, and those displaced-resident designations should go to people who truly need them," he said. "Using a fake address registration in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, just to get that designation — that's simply not right."

Cheon also took issue with Kang's son posting a photo of himself with his father as his KakaoTalk profile picture. "If you're really the son of a four-star general, everyone in the unit already knows it," he said. "Having that photo as your profile picture could make not only your fellow soldiers but also your superiors uncomfortable."

At the confirmation hearing held Wednesday, Kang responded to that criticism by saying "people can think differently" — a reply Cheon said revealed a troubling lack of awareness. "Doesn't this show that the nominee's understanding of the distinction between public and private conduct, and of fairness within the military, is simply too low?" Cheon said. "On issues that could be problematic, he comes across as brazen, and on sensitive points that are hard to defend, he claims ignorance."

Turning to Kim Seung-won, the nominee for justice minister, Cheon said it was deeply problematic that a sitting lawmaker had directly lobbied the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety over a new drug approval. "Lawmakers hear all kinds of constituent requests and make referrals — that's part of the job — but directly lobbying the food and drug safety minister over a new drug is a different matter entirely," he said, adding that remarks involving the word "oppa" and other comments that emerged during the hearing were "embarrassing for the public to hear."

"If the government pushes ahead with the appointment, won't that send a bad signal to the public about the integrity of public office?" Cheon added.


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