Illegal Structure Remains Despite Promises; Loans to Sibling Increase

[Anchor]

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook underwent a National Assembly confirmation hearing in July of last year for the position of Minister of SMEs and Startups. However, it has been revealed that issues raised at that time remain unresolved, and in some cases, have even worsened.

Report by Go Jeong-hyeon.

[Reporter]

This is a coffee shop in Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, operated by the younger sibling of Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook.

A connecting passage has been installed between the two buildings, with walls broken through to link them.

Nominee Han purchased these two buildings in 2020.

When Han was a nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups in July of last year, the Jongno-gu Office had already pointed out that the passage was an illegal extension.

[Han Seong-sook / Prime Minister Nominee (July of last year): I am currently in discussions with the Jongno-gu Office regarding the matters (illegal extension) you mentioned to make the necessary adjustments.]

However, Han has held out for nearly a year, paying only 130,000 won in enforcement fines while leaving the illegal structure untouched.

A check of the building register shows it is still recorded as an "illegal structure."

Recently, however, steel fences marked "Scheduled for Demolition" have been erected.

[Local Resident: It’s been over 10 days, I think. I don't remember exactly, but it’s been about that long. (Has any heavy equipment or construction workers arrived since then?) No, I haven't seen anything like that yet.]

During the National Assembly confirmation hearing last July, a loan of 245 million won that Han allegedly lent to her sibling in 2016 also came under scrutiny.

As there was no promissory note and Han had not received any interest for nine years, allegations of "gift tax evasion" were raised.

In July of last year, Han explained that her sibling had paid 11.27 million won in gift taxes on the interest of the loan.

However, it has been revealed that instead of the principal decreasing, Han lent an additional 100 million won to her sibling this past February with a three-year maturity.

Han's confirmation hearing preparation team stated that the nominee plans to faithfully explain issues related to her personal affairs, including the loans to her sibling, during the confirmation hearing.

(Reported by Bae Moon-san and Shin Jin-soo | Video by Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.