Construction companies are on edge ahead of this year's National Assembly audits. As the president has stressed "safety first" and a series of serious industrial accidents have occurred at construction sites, many construction company chief executive officers (CEOs) have been named on witness lists.
Some construction companies must attend audits by multiple standing committees. Chief Executive Officer Joo Woo-jung of Hyundai Engineering and Chief Executive Officer Song Chi-hyung of POSCO E&C have been asked to testify before the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee and the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee due to fatal accidents at construction sites.
Chief Executive Officer Lee Han-woo of Hyundai E&C faces the need to explain allegations over presidential residence construction during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration not only at the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit but also at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit.
According to the National Assembly and the construction industry on the 2nd, CEOs of construction companies were recently included en masse on the witness and reference-person lists for standing committee audits.
On the 13th, the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee, which will audit the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, applied for the following witnesses: ▲ Chief Executive Officer Kim Bo-hyun of Daewoo E&C ▲ Chief Executive Officer Jeong Kyung-ku of HDC Hyundai Development Company ▲ Chief Executive Officer Joo Woo-jung ▲ Chief Executive Officer Song Chi-hyung ▲ President Heo Yoon-hong of GS Engineering and Construction ▲ Chairman Lee Hae-wook of DL Group ▲ Chief Executive Officer Park Hyun-cheol of Lotte E&C ▲ Vice Chairman Park Se-chang of Kumho Engineering & Construction.
With accidents causing casualties at construction sites occurring in succession, it appears intended to heighten CEOs' awareness of safety and press them to draw up countermeasures.
Hyundai Engineering and POSCO E&C, where serious industrial accidents occurred, also appear likely to be called to the Environment and Labor Committee audit. Hyundai Engineering was included as a witness this week because of the Seoul–Sejong Expressway bridge collapse and because it is cited as the company with the most industrial accidents in construction. POSCO E&C is expected to be called to the Environment and Labor Committee audit as well, as Chief Executive Officer Song Chi-young, following the collapse at the Gwangmyeong Shinansan Line construction site and the company being cited as ranking No. 2 for industrial accidents in construction.
Chief Executive Officer Lee Han-woo must attend the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit not only over construction accidents but also because of the unilateral termination of a negotiated contract for the Gadeokdo New Airport construction project. In particular, Hyundai E&C faces allegations of preferential treatment in the presidential residence construction under the Yoon administration, so Lee is expected to stand as a witness not only before the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee but also at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee included Hyundai E&C's management on the witness and reference-person list for the Board of Audit and Inspection audit set for the 16th. Along with Lee, senior adviser Yun Young-joon of Hyundai E&C and former full-time adviser Lee Jin-hyung were placed on the appearance request list.
At the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, lawmakers are expected to press hard on allegations that Hyundai E&C was promised a contract worth about 80 billion won for a new state guesthouse in front of the presidential office in return for carrying out the presidential residence construction free of charge during the Yoon administration. They are also expected to point out claims that construction costs were paid indirectly by assigning other construction site work to the company that carried out the residence project.
Chairman Lee Bong-gwan of SEOHEE CONSTRUCTION, who is embroiled in a hiring favoritism controversy, and Chief Executive Officer Kim Won-cheol will also be summoned as witnesses for the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit related to the controversy over regional housing cooperatives.
A National Assembly official said, "The witness and reference-person appearance list has been approved, but some may be dropped in the middle," and added, "It will be decided through consultations between the two parties."