2.7 Billion Won Embezzlement Allegations in Salt Farm Worker Accommodation

It has been confirmed that Starvianum Inc. was selected as the private contractor for the Janggam-ri Zone 3 Safe Accommodation project. According to New 탐사 (New Explorations) investigation, this company received a budget of 2.73 billion won for a project where even the detailed design had not yet been completed.

Starvianum's business address was confirmed as 101, Cheonsa-ro 1-dong, Aphae-eup. This address was found to be the same as several companies related to former Sinan County Mayor Park Woo-rang's brother, including Angel Bridge and Won Architecture. YJ Agricultural Corporation, where Park Yoon-joo, the daughter of former Mayor Park Woo-rang, is listed as a director, also uses the same address.

Kim A-joong, the CEO of Starvianum, confessed to the reporting team that she lent her name to an individual connected to former Mayor Park Woo-rang. This serves as additional evidence confirming that the de facto owner of Angel Bridge is former Mayor Park Woo-rang.

Evidence emerged that former Mayor Park Woo-rang intensively executed project funds totaling 1.83 billion won, including 1 billion won on January 10, 2025, and 900 million won on June 9, before losing his position. Since former Mayor Park Woo-rang lost his position in March 2025, this raises suspicions that he attempted to 'secure a stake' by finalizing budget execution before his departure.

The Sinan County Salt Farm Worker Safe Accommodation Project was in fact a new building construction project, but former Mayor Park Woo-rang's side reported it to the county council not as a construction project, which cannot be privately outsourced, but merely as 'safe accommodation facility management.' As a result, the county council appears to have given its consent without knowing the true nature of the project. This method of inducing council approval is not possible through arbitrary action by public officials, raising suspicions that there was a direct instruction from former Mayor Park Woo-rang.

The county council was unaware that the actual project was new building construction, which strengthens suspicions that the mayor's side attempted to push the project by deceiving the council. While new construction projects must follow specific standards and procedures, it is pointed out that by disguising it as facility management, an attempt was made to circumvent these procedures. These circumstances raise serious questions about the transparency and procedural legitimacy of budget execution.

If the mayor forcefully proceeded with the project in this manner, it can be seen as a serious matter of abusing the county's administrative procedures and decision-making system. Given that public officials cannot make such significant decisions alone, the argument that there was a strong directive from the mayor gains credibility.

Consequently, there are criticisms that the safe accommodation project may remain an example of illegal budget execution and deception of the council, contrary to its original purpose.

It was confirmed that the private consignment company Starvianum and related companies own a total of 22 parcels of land in the vicinity of Janggam-ri, Aphae-eup. These companies purchased approximately 20,000 pyeong of land, and there were signs that concentrated sales occurred particularly in January 2025.

It was revealed that the Sinan County Safe Accommodation project funds were used for land purchase and repayment of existing loans, indicating signs of de facto land speculation. The reporting team raised suspicions that information about the development of National Road No. 77 was obtained in advance to purchase nearby hotel sites, and that county funds from Sinan County were used for land speculation. This suggests the possibility of organized crime where county budget was used for purposes other than intended.

It was confirmed that three parcels of land, approximately 9,660 pyeong, are owned under the name of YJ Agricultural Corporation, where former Mayor Park Woo-rang's child is registered as a director. Including the parcels owned by Jang Won, the total reaches 22 parcels. Jang Won is analyzed to have effectively acted as the mayor's butler and was deeply involved in this speculation.

Two parcels of land owned by Jang Won were purchased by Sinan County as safe accommodation sites, along with approximately 180 million won in land compensation. However, the problem is that this budget was confirmed to have been changed and executed from the eco-friendly agriculture department budget, not the original safe accommodation project budget. This means that the project budget was used for a purpose different from its original intention, leading to controversy over inappropriate budget diversion.

The eco-friendly agriculture department budget should be used for agriculture-related projects, but its diversion for land compensation is pointed out as an act that undermines the transparency and fairness of budget execution. Such off-purpose budget use suggests the possibility of intentional budget misappropriation rather than a simple administrative error, and calls for a thorough investigation have been raised.

In conclusion, the inappropriate diversion of the safe accommodation project budget is amplifying suspicions of abuse of public funds and preferential treatment, requiring clear explanations and responsible measures from relevant authorities.