Former Land Minister Questioned Over Expressway Project Linked to First Lady's Family
Quick Look
- Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong was questioned by a special counsel team in Gwacheon, South Korea, regarding suspicions he tried to alter an expressway project's endpoint to benefit former first lady Kim Keon Hee's family, a claim he denies.
- The project was canceled amid controversy.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong is being questioned by a special counsel team over allegations he tried to alter a planned Seoul-Yangpyeong expressway's endpoint to benefit former first lady Kim Keon Hee's family. The entire project was canceled by Won in July 2023 due to the controversy.
GWACHEON, South Korea, July 23 (Yonhap) -- Former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong appeared before a special counsel team Thursday for questioning over an expressway project linked to former first lady Kim Keon Hee's family, officials said.
Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team summoned Won to its office in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, to question him about suspicions he tried to alter the endpoint of a planned Seoul-Yangpyeong expressway during his time in office to benefit Kim, the wife of then President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The changed endpoint would have come close to land owned by Kim's family, but Won canceled the entire project in July 2023 following controversy about the alleged special favor.
The special counsel team has also been looking into whether Won bypassed due procedures in the cancellation process.
Won denied any wrongdoing to reporters as he arrived for interrogation.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Special counsel investigation into the expressway project will continue.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will the special counsel find evidence of wrongdoing?
- Was due procedure bypassed in the project's cancellation?
- What will be the political fallout for those involved?
