Hong Ji-sun, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated that it is difficult to verify the authenticity of materials related to allegations of illegal surveillance of real estate experts and YouTubers by the ministry in the past.
During a comprehensive audit session of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 23rd, Minister Hong responded to a query from Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party, saying, "Most of the individuals involved are currently under investigation, trial, or audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding housing statistics, and some employees have either retired or transferred to other agencies, which significantly limits our ability to conduct an internal investigation."
Rep. Kim raised concerns about allegations that the ministry investigated the housing ownership status of experts and YouTubers who previously advocated for rising real estate markets, urging for a thorough investigation. She specifically called for a separate investigation by the audit office, stating that the housing policy division is currently verifying the facts related to the allegations.
In response, Minister Hong remarked, "This is not an issue that occurred under the current government but rather under the previous administration (Moon Jae-in's government), and there is nothing we are trying to hide. It would be helpful if the committee members could provide more detailed information regarding the materials they possess, as we cannot ascertain the authenticity of the data ourselves."
Lee Myung-seob, the head of the Busan Regional Aviation Administration, who appeared as a witness that day, answered Rep. Kim's inquiry about whether he was involved in the investigation of the housing ownership status of real estate experts by saying, "I have not done so" and "I do not know." He also denied allegations that the investigation excluded YouTubers who were favorable to government policies or targeted only experts with specific biases.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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