Kyowon Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's Luxury Yangpyeong Residence: 'Split Permit' Controversy Reignited

A lawyer appointed to the People Power Party's ethics committee was found to be working as in-house counsel for Coupang, sparking controversy over a potential violation of concurrent employment regulations. Allegations arose that the People Power Party was aware of the lawyer's concurrent employment yet proceeded with the appointment, while Coupang claimed ignorance of the lawyer's selection to the committee. As the controversy grew, the lawyer initiated resignation procedures from the ethics committee, leading to criticism of the People Power Party's inadequate vetting process.

A police officer arbitrarily closed a missing person case, even after finding the individual, on the grounds that the person 'did not want to meet their family.' It was confirmed that this officer had closed cases in the same manner previously, raising concerns about a structural flaw in the police system that allows officers to close missing person cases without final supervisory approval.

As the police's inadequate handling of a missing person case escalated into a social controversy, the Prime Minister ordered a full investigation into the case's processing and called for the establishment of preventive measures. In response, the National Police Agency plans to introduce a system requiring final approval from a supervisor when closing missing person cases in the future.

A Saemaul Geumgo branch manager was found to have illicitly used customer seals to open accounts and execute loans, then embezzling the funds. So far, the confirmed damage extends to 20 accounts, totaling over 760 million won in losses. Such incidents indicate that embezzlement and illegal loans by employees have become entrenched structural problems within Saemaul Geumgo.

According to data obtained by Representative Jung Choon-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party, the total amount of embezzlement and illegal loans within Saemaul Geumgo over the past five years reached approximately 40 billion won. With all but two robbery cases confirmed to be perpetrated by employees, criticism mounts that 'inside thieves' are more dangerous, and the structural negligence within Saemaul Geumgo is deemed a severe problem.

The ruling and opposition parties engaged in a heated debate over the opposition's move to push for the dismissal and suspension of duties for Broadcast Communication Commissioner nominee Jinsook Lee. Representative Na Kyung-won criticized the opposition's actions as 'silencing opposition lawmakers' and 'targeted tactics,' but the opposition countered by referring to 'parliamentary majoritarian totalitarianism.'

Representative Na Kyung-won sparked controversy by demanding the public disclosure of the list and achievements of individuals meritorious in the May 18th Democratic Uprising as a condition for including the spirit of 5.18 in the preamble of the Constitution. This drew criticism as an attempt to undermine the historical significance of 5.18, and was contrasted with issues surrounding pro-Japanese collaborator cemeteries, drawing a critical perspective.

Journalist Cho Gab-je strongly criticized pastors who advocate 'election fraud theories,' calling them 'false prophets destined for hell.' This stance is noteworthy as it contrasts with Cho Gab-je's past actions, where he allied with figures like Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, even calling him a 'pastor who confronts Moon Jae-in.' His changed position, where he now designates pastors like Son Hyeon-bo as 'false prophets' after previously aligning with 'pastors who confront Moon Jae-in,' is notable.

An MBC report on 'split permits' for Kyowon Group Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's Yangpyeong residence and disciplinary action against Yangpyeong County officials has brought a Newstamsa investigation from a year ago back into public discourse. The residence, located on a 7,000-pyeong plot with an 80-car parking lot, is criticized for its unsuitably large and unusual facility structure for a private home, raising suspicions of special treatment in the permitting process.

The area around Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's residence construction site, with narrow roads less than 4 meters wide, faced severe problems due to dozens of large construction vehicles, such as ready-mix concrete trucks, passing daily. Dangerous situations where residents' children were nearly involved in accidents occurred frequently, leading to damaged village roads and cracks in nearby houses, causing immense harm to residents' safety and living environment.

Newstamsa reporters attempted to meet with Yangpyeong County Head Jeon Jin-sun but were obstructed and blocked by county officials. Initially, they mistook the reporters for ordinary petitioners and tried to guide them, but as soon as Newstamsa's identity was revealed, their attitude immediately changed, and they attempted to prevent coverage. Despite Jeon Jin-sun being in the county head's office, the meeting ultimately did not take place.

Following the audit results from Gyeonggi Province, disciplinary action has been requested for public officials involved in the permitting process for Kyowon Group Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's residence. The Yangpyeong County Personnel Committee is currently set to determine the level of disciplinary action, but the Yangpyeong County Audit Department has refrained from disclosing specific results, stating it is the committee's inherent authority in procedural matters. The Personnel Committee will make the final decision on disciplinary action and its severity based on the audit results.

An official from the Yangpyeong County Audit Department stated that because the discretion of departments handling permitting tasks is recognized, it is difficult for the audit department, within the same Yangpyeong County office, to clearly point out and intervene in the wrongdoings of that department. This is identified as a factor that makes effective auditing and disciplinary action for inappropriate permitting practices difficult due to organizational limitations within the county office.

Following the Gyeonggi Province audit results, 'minor disciplinary action' was requested for public officials involved in the permitting process for Kyowon Group Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's residence. Minor disciplinary action typically includes reprimands or salary reductions. Questions are being raised about the effectiveness of such disciplinary action given that construction is already complete. Critics argue that light disciplinary action is insufficient to fulfill accountability when completed facilities cannot be reversed due to problems in the permitting process.

According to a Yangpyeong County official, frequent audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection are causing public officials to avoid permit-related duties. In particular, it is reported that many of the 25 officials who received minor disciplinary action related to the Kyowon residence plan to appeal, indicating growing dissatisfaction within the organization over the difficulty of their work and the perceived unfairness of the disciplinary actions.

Gyeonggi Province requested 'minor disciplinary action' after confirming insufficient work processing by relevant public officials in the permitting process for Kyowon Group Chairman Jang Pyung-soon's residence. However, the final type and severity of disciplinary action will be determined by the Yangpyeong County Personnel Committee, and Gyeonggi Province maintained its stance that it cannot intervene in all of Yangpyeong County's administration. Gyeonggi Province requested disciplinary action based on its own audit results, but the actual disciplinary measures are left to the discretion of Yangpyeong County's internal judgment.