People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop, who has emerged as a sniper targeting Chong Won-o, raised additional allegations of farmland speculation against former Seongdong District Administrator Chong Won-o. The former administrator is a preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea.
On the 8th, Kim wrote on Facebook, "We additionally confirmed that a large-scale farmland of about 6,800 pyeong exists under the name of Chong Won-o's family within 1 kilometer of the farmland he owns that he appealed was a 'landlocked lot,'" adding, "The land confirmed so far on the certified copy of the register alone amounts to at least 6,800 pyeong."
On the 25th, Kim had said, "According to the official gazette and certified copy of the register, the former administrator traded 600 pyeong each of rice paddies and fields at age 0 and age 2, before even taking baby steps," raising speculation allegations. At the time, the former administrator's side countered, "The administrator's land is land purchased by the grandparents and parents to farm directly and is small-scale land registered under the administrator's name in accordance with family custom," calling Kim's allegations "clearly fake news and a malicious political offensive."
Raising additional allegations that day, Kim said, "These land parcels were acquired in 2000 and are subject to the strict application of the current Farmland Act," adding, "One of the parcels was even gifted from the mother to the younger sibling and then had its land category changed to miscellaneous land in 2020, increasing its asset value."
Kim said, "6,800 pyeong of farmland is far beyond what can be managed by family farming," adding, "Although the titles are split, looking at the acquisition and management process, it is sufficient to view it as a process in which an 'economic community' has increased its assets."
He continued, "According to recent media reports, the price of the farmland, which was around 6,000 won per pyeong at the time of acquisition, has surged more than 30 times to nearly 200,000 won per pyeong. Local residents also testify that the candidate's family has already stopped farming due to health reasons," adding, "Large-scale farmland held while not farming in anticipation of capital gains—this is precisely farmland ownership for speculative purposes that President Lee Jae-myung has singled out for eradication."
Kim said, "Chong Won-o should stop selling his parents now and start by selling the vast farmland owned by his own family," adding, "The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is said to be launching a full survey of farmland this month. We propose the farmland owned by Chong Won-o's family as the No. 1 subject of those surveyed."
The former administrator's side said of Kim's claims, "We will never sit idly by in the face of baseless false claims and defamation targeting the family." Park Kyung-mi, Spokesperson for the former administrator's camp, said, "The farmland Kim mentioned is not the candidate's property. It is the lawful asset of the younger brother and the mother, and it is farmland that has been actually cultivated while living locally for decades," adding, "Even though it is a matter unrelated to the candidate from acquisition to management, the reckless political offensive that bundles it together with the candidate with the vague phrase 'economic community' must stop."