During a confirmation hearing on September 16, Chun Ha-ram, a lawmaker from the Reform Party, questioned Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Defense Minister, about allegations regarding special housing allocations for his family, referring to them as "Kang Shin-cheol evictees." Kang responded that he had not heard of this term and believed he had received "just compensation" for the allocations.
Chun criticized Kang for claiming he was unaware of the term "special housing allocation" during the hearing, presenting documentation showing that Kang's name was listed as an applicant for a special housing allocation in 2008. "Is it acceptable to start a confirmation hearing with lies and perjury?" Chun asked.
Kang clarified that he did not apply directly but thought the process was being handled by the government through the SH Corporation. He stated, "I understood that compensation was being provided, but I was not aware that it was classified as a special housing allocation for evictees."
Chun pointed out that not only Kang but also his father, brother, and aunt received special allocations, questioning how Kang could be unaware of this when his family received four allocations. Kang maintained that it was compensation for being expropriated and emphasized that his family suffered significant losses.
Chun also raised suspicions that Kang may have changed his residency to qualify for the special allocation, noting that when Kang registered his move to Cheonwang-dong in 2008, his spouse and children were still living in Bundang.
Kang acknowledged that his family was in Bundang at that time but insisted, "We were merely following the government's negotiation process." He added, "I have already apologized to the media for the mismanagement and negligence regarding our address registration."
The controversy surrounding Kang's family's special housing allocations emerged after Chun raised related allegations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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